Learn Chinese: November 2007

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Tom, Katie wed in Rome ancient castle

WORLD / Europe

Tom, Katie wed in Rome ancient castle

(AP)
Updated: 2006-11-19 09:33

BRACCIANO - In a fairy-tale setting fit for royalty, Tom Cruise and Katie
Holmes exchanged wedding vows Saturday evening in a glowing 15th-century
castle in a lakeside Italian town.

Actor Tom Cruise arrives at Castello Odescalchi for his wedding to Katie
Holmes in the Italian lakeside town of Bracciano November 18, 2006.
[Reuters]

Cruise's publicist Arnold Robinson confirmed that the ceremony had taken
place, and later said in a statement that it was performed by a
Scientology minister before more than 150 relatives and friends.

Actress Katie Holmes watches from a window of Castello Odescalchi as her
fiance Tom Cruise arrives for their wedding in the Italian lakeside town
of Bracciano November 18, 2006. Cruise and Holmes chose the 15th century
castle just outside of Rome as the location for their celebrity wedding.
[Reuters]

Holmes wore a fitted Giorgio Armani off-the-shoulder bridal gown with a
train in ivory silk cadis adorned in Valenciennes lace and Swarovski
beaded crystal embroidery.

The designer, Giorgio Armani, was a guest at the wedding. Armani said
Holmes looked "very sweet, and at the same time modern."

"Hollywood people are very demanding. They know they are being watched
and they need a certain security," Armani said.

Cruise also wore a handmade Armani suit. The two men are longtime friends.

Armani said Cruise first, and then Holmes, came down a stone ramp lined
with flag bearers in medieval costumes and to the roll of drums.

Holmes' father, Martin Holmes, walked her down the aisle, and she carried
a bouquet of flowers made by Armani.

It included calla lilies wrapped in leaves of galax and steelgrass,
Robinson said.

The couple's baby daughter was also dressed in Armani, the designer said,
describing a little, white wool bloomer dress, decorated in tulle. The
72-year-old designer said he made the outfit simple, not wanting to
exaggerate the dress of a child.

Cruise and Holmes were married in a former stable decorated simply with
white flowers, and exchanged vows under an awning, Armani said.

American guests awed
"For the Americans this was very special, because Americans do not have
this kind of thing back home, and they dream of such things in our
beautiful country, and you can see the surprise and the awe on their
faces," Armani said.

Cruise's best friend, David Miscavige, was best man, and the matron of
honor was Holmes' sister, Nancy Blaylock.

The 20-minute ceremony ended with "a never-ending kiss" that prompted
some of the guests to shout "stop, stop!" Armani said.

In his statement, Robinson said Cruise and Holmes "officialized their
marriage" in Los Angeles before coming to Italy.

He did not immediately reply to an e-mailed question about whether that
meant they had been married in a civil ceremony.

Outside, fans and residents hoped for a glimpse of the celebrity couple,
as oil-fed torches glowed from the battlements of the Odescalchi castle,
which towers over the town on the shores of Lake Bracciano.

Tiny candles, placed in the castle's windows, flickered romantically as
the couple and fellow stars gathered in the town about 25 miles northwest
of the Italian capital.

Following the ceremony, Cruise and Holmes were serenaded at the reception
with a special performance by Italian singer Andrea Bocelli.

Guests were treated to Italian hors d'oeuvres followed by a multi-course
meal. Cruise and Holmes cut a five-tiered white chocolate wedding cake
decorated with marzipan roses and studded with white chocolate chips.

J Lo subtle, Posh sexy

Armani said Jennifer Lopez looked "very attractive" in a pink dress, and
Victoria Beckham was clad in black and wore a wide brimmed, matching hat
he said was "more appropriate for an event at Longchamps," Paris race
track.

"The look was provocative, in fact very sexy," the designer added.

Earlier, Holmes wore a black dress and boots before she changed into her
gown.

Cruise came from Rome, where the family had been staying in a luxury
hotel near the Spanish Steps, in a van and, sporting dark shades, waved
to fans.

When the groom drove up, Holmes, anxiously gesturing with a hand, watched
from a castle window.

Other VIPs arriving in limousines or vans through the castle gates
included Brooke Shields, Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Jim Carrey.

Pouring rain had forced Holmes and her baby to take shelter under large,
green umbrellas as they left their limousine. But the sun was shining on
the castle when Cruise arrived.

As the sun began to set, candles were placed in pots along the road to
the castle. Men wearing tuxedos and women holding up the hems of their
long gowns walked up the steep path to the castle.

Police patrolled the castle's walls and all vehicles were banned from
Bracciano's center. The flag of the Odescalchi family, whose ancestors
include Benedetto Odescalchi, the 17th century pope Innocent XI,
fluttered over the castle's towers.

"When I first walked here, I didn't know why they chose this place," said
Emily Roeder, 19, of Atchison, Kansas, who came to Bracciano for the day
from Florence, where she is studying. "Then I saw the castle and the
streets all around, and it's really romantic."

Hundreds of the town's 14,000 residents and fans of the stars braved
intermittent rain to catch a glimpse of the arrivals.

"I want to see at least one of them -- even if it's not Tom Cruise,"
15-year-old Erica Bandiera said.

The first guest to drive through the castle's gates was Roberta Armani,
niece of the fashion designer.

Holmes was giving Cruise a wedding gift of a Vacheron Constantin watch
engraved simply, "I Love You," the watch company said in a statement. It
said she bought the gift in Los Angeles last week.

Scientology ceremonies contain many elements of traditional weddings,
including rings and vows. But they also include certain Scientology
fundamentals, including vowing never to go to bed without communicating
about any differences.

A spokesman for the Church of Scientology for Rome, Fabrizio D'Agostino,
said an exchange of vows with a Scientology rite was not legally
recognized in Italy, and would have to be preceded or followed by a civil
union.

Bracciano Mayor Patrizia Riccioni said her office had not received a
request to celebrate a civil wedding as of midday Friday.

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Hamas accepts peace conference proposal

WORLD / Middle East

Hamas accepts peace conference proposal

(AP)
Updated: 2006-11-13 08:35

CAIRO, Egypt - The Hamas-led Palestinian government agreed Sunday to an
international peace conference with Israel after the Arab League -
angered by Israel's military offensive in Gaza - voted to end a financial
blockade on the Palestinians.

Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar of Hamas endorsed a statement by Arab
foreign ministers calling for the peace conference during a meeting in
Cairo to respond to a US veto of a UN Security Council resolution
condemning the Gaza offensive.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of the Hamas pauses
during a meeting with former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia of
the Fatah, not seen, in Gaza city, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2006. Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas from Fatah said he expected to reach a
long-delayed deal on forming a joint government with the militant Hamas
group by the end of the month. Hamas officials also said a deal was
close. [AP]

Israel responded by saying it would not hold talks with Hamas unless it
agreed to demands, backed by the US and Europe, that the group recognize
Israel, renounce violence and abide by existing agreements between Israel
and Palestinians.

Zahar said the Palestinians had asked for the peace conference "in order
to reach just and comprehensive solutions." The acceptance marked the
first time the Hamas-led government has indicated it would consider
making amends with the Jewish state.

The West cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid and
tax revenues to the Palestinians after Hamas took power in March in an
effort to pressure the Islamic militant group to moderate its anti-Israel
ideology.

Israel made clear that Hamas' shift fell short of its demands. Mark
Regev, a foreign ministry spokesman, said he was not aware of the
conference proposal. But he said Hamas could not be a party to talks with
Israel unless it met the international community's stipulations.

"A multilateral conference doesn't make Hamas legitimate," Regev said.
"What makes Hamas legitimate is accepting the international benchmarks."

Hamas' decision came as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived in
Washington Sunday ahead of a meeting with President Bush on Monday.

The Arab League statement said ministers sought a conference to resolve
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "according to international resolutions
and the principle of 'land for peace'." Arabs want Hamas to endorse a
2002 Arab initiative that calls for peace in exchange for land seized by
Israel in the 1967 Middle East war - the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and
east Jerusalem.

Sunday was the first time Zahar had attended an Arab foreign ministers'
meeting since Hamas became the ruling party. The Arab League had
previously refused to let him join unless Hamas accepted the peace
initiative.

Arab ministers also decided Sunday to end a financial blockade on the
Palestinians to show their anger over US veto in the Security Council on
Saturday.

The U.N. draft resolution would have condemned the Israeli offensive in
Gaza that has killed more 50 people recently and also demanded that
Israeli troops pull out of the territory. US Ambassador John Bolton said
the Arab-backed resolution was "biased against Israel and politically
motivated."

It was the second US veto of a draft resolution on Israeli military
operations in Gaza this year.

"There will no longer be an international siege," said Bahrain's Foreign
Minister Sheik Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.

The economic sanctions against Hamas have debilitated the Palestinians
and have led to clashes between the Islamic militants and the more
moderate Fatah party led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas
has been trying to form a more moderate government and renew the peace
process with Israel.

Arab banks have not transferred funds to the Hamas-run Palestinian
Authority for fear of US-led sanctions. The United States and European
Union lists Hamas as a terrorist organization and takes steps against
those who transfer funds to such groups. It was not immediately clear
whether Arab banks would immediately begin transactions in response to
Sunday's decision and if sanctions would be imposed if they did.

1 2

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Resurgent Democrats win control of House

WORLD / America

Resurgent Democrats win control of House

(AP)
Updated: 2006-11-08 14:22

WASHINGTON - Democrats won control of the House early Wednesday after a
dozen years of Republican rule in a resounding repudiation of a war, a
president and a scandal-scarred Congress.

Democratic party supporters react as TV news first predict that the
Democratic Party will control the U.S. House of Representatives at a
mid-term election night party for the Democratic Party in Washington,
November 7, 2006. Americans voted on Tuesday in elections for Congress
that could curb the power of George W. Bush's Republicans, force a change
of direction in Iraq and shape the legacy of a president with two years
left in office. [Reuters]

"From sea to shining sea, the American people voted for change," declared
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the hard-charging California Democrat in line to
become the nation's first female House speaker.

"Today we have made history," she said, "now let us make progress."

Faced with the inevitable, the White House made plans for President Bush
to call Pelosi first thing in the morning; he will enter his final two
years in office with at least half of Congress in the opposition party's
hands.

Just after 1 a.m., Democrats had won 218 seats, enough to control the
House, and were leading for another 15, which give them 233. Republicans,
who hold 229 seats in the current House, won 176 and were leading in
another 26, which would give them 202.

The Democrats won 24 Republican-controlled seats ,and no Democratic
incumbent had lost by early Wednesday.

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7 shot at US city Halloween party

WORLD / America

7 shot at US city Halloween party

(AP)
Updated: 2006-11-01 21:14

On Tuesday night, city officials had ramped up police presence by 25
percent, reduced the number of entertainment stages from three to one and
cut off the festivities at 11 p.m. amid concerns of more violence.

"We had the sheriff's department screening people for weapons and
alcohol. Obviously you have a major event - a lot of different spots" to
patrol, Gittens said. "I can't explain how this happened. Unfortunately
it did happen, and we are investigating to find out who is the cause of
the shooting."

Ted Morales, 43, said he was working as a volunteer security guard for
the event when he "heard someone empty their gun" in the crowd.

"When the shooting happened, people just dove to the ground like a wall
of water," said Morales, who did not see what led up to the shooting. A
woman standing near him was grazed in the neck by a bullet, he said.

Sophia Vlahiotis, who owns Capri Ristorante Pizza just yards from the
scene, was outside selling pizzas when a crowd of people fleeing the
bullets began running in her direction.

"They pushed the table over, the oven fell and then I realized it was
gunshots," she said. "They were trying to get into the restaurant, there
were so many people."

Vlahiotis, who did not see what led up to the shooting, said this year
may be her last participating in the Halloween party.

"I'm still shaking," she said. "I don't know if I want to do this again.
It's not worth my life."

1 2

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IOC warns organizers of challenges

Sports / BOCOG News

IOC warns organizers of challenges

By Lei Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-10-25 06:34

Senior officials from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have
cautioned Beijing's Olympic organizers about potential challenges arising
over the next two years.

"Obviously with less than two years to go, this is the time when
traditionally the challenges will mount," said Hein Verbruggen, chairman
of the IOC Co-ordination Commission (COCOM) of the Beijing Games, while
attending the opening ceremony of the three-day seventh COCOM plenary
session.

Nesting ground: International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge
visits the construction site of the National Stadium yesterday. The
91,000-seat stadium, known as the "Bird's Nest" for its giant lattice
work structure of metal girders, will host the opening and closing
ceremonies and athletics events during the 2008 Games. "It is, in my
opinion, one of the icons in the world," Rogge told reporters. [XINHUA]

Based on experience from organizing previous Games, Verbruggen outlined
some potential challenges for the Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG).

They include the timely completion of all key buildings, the procurement
of catering services, and the release of detailed venue designs.

In light of the last minute difficulties experienced by the 2006 Winter
Olympics in Turin, Verbruggen also advised BOCOG to keep integration in
mind.

"We have heard recently how the organizers of the Turin Games had
difficulty integrating all the pieces together, and that probably will be
something that will happen in all organizing cities," Verbruggen said.
"So please ensure great effort and make this work. Have the processes and
procedures in place to ensure a good relationship between all places."

Verbruggen had high praise for the test sailing and softball events,
which were held in the last two months, as well as the progress being
made in venues construction.

"BOCOG has continued to make progress at such a rate it is praised not
only by us, but also by the media as we have seen in August during the
world broadcasters meeting and more recently in the written press," he
said.

Attending the opening ceremony of COCOM, IOC President Jacques Rogge also
gave Beijing's work a positive assessment.

At the same time, the president stressed that BOCOG must avoid
complacency if it is to deliver a successful Olympics in 2008.

"Despite the great progress that BOCOG has so far been able to achieve,
my experience throughout my Olympic career has been that it is extremely
important not to take your eye off the ball, because it is often in the
moments when you lose your focus that mistakes can creep in," Rogge said.

"We should all remember that the Games are not judged solely by the
technical proficiency of the project, but also through the perception
that the world has of the Games.

"We must therefore ensure that while all the technical elements are in
place we do not forget to look after the less tangible elements that will
ultimately shape the world's image of China and the Beijing Games."

Also yesterday, the Fifth World Forum on Sport, Olympic Education and
Culture closed, with the unveiling of the "Beijing Declaration."

As released by the IOC, the declaration addresses the critical role of
education and culture in bringing a meaning to sport and having an
effective and positive contribution to promoting the harmonious
development of young people's physical and psychological up-bringing and
well being.

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U.N. approves sanctions on North Korea

WORLD / Photo

U.N. approves sanctions on North Korea

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-10-15 09:20

The U.N. Security Council votes unanimously to impose financial and
weapons sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear test, which the
resolution called a "clear threat to international peace and security,"
in New York, October 14, 2006. [Reuters]

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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File photo of Kim Jong-il

WORLD / Photo

File photo of Kim Jong-il

(Agencies)
Updated: 2006-10-09 14:04

In a file photo North Korean leader Kim Jong-il waves during a departure
ceremony at the Pyongyang airport in North Korea, June 15, 2000. North
Korea said Monday, October 9, 2006, it has performed its first-ever
nuclear weapons test, setting off an underground blast in defiance of
international warnings and intense diplomatic activity aimed at heading
off such a move. [AP Photo]

1 2

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Turk surrenders after hijacking plane

WORLD / Top News

Turk surrenders after hijacking plane

(AP)
Updated: 2006-10-04 06:40

BRINDISI- A Turkish man hijacked a jetliner carrying 113 people from
Albania to Istanbul on Tuesday and forced it to land in southern Italy,
where he surrendered and released all the passengers unharmed, officials
said.

Two senior Turkish officials said the hijacker was seeking political
asylum. An Italian security official said the hijacker had a message for
the pope, but he said he did not know what it was.

Candan Karlitekin, chairman of Turkish Airlines' board of directors,
initially said the Boeing 737-400 had been hijacked by two Turks, and
that they were protesting Pope Benedict XVI's planned visit to Turkey
next month.

Transport Minister Binali Yildirim told The Associated Press that the
hijacker, whom he identified as Hakan Ekinci, was seeking to evade
military service in his native Turkey. Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler also
said the hijacker was an army deserter who had fled to Albania.

"It has nothing to do with the pope's visit; it was a simple attempt of
seeking political asylum under the influence of psychological problems,"
Yildirim said.

The passengers got off the plane about two hours after it landed in
Brindisi, a town on southern Italy's Adriatic coast. The jet was on a
darkened tarmac, with a fire truck carrying Brindisi airport's chief of
security parked nearby.

The passengers were being questioned one by one by Italian authorities to
confirm their identities and rule out any possibility that the hijacker
had an accomplice.

"The man burst into the cockpit and said 'there's two of us,'" leading
authorities to believe the man was not acting alone, according to the
Italian security official based in Brindisi. The official spoke on
condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the
media.

"There was only one hijacker. He surrendered to authorities at the
airport," the official said.

The Turkish captain issued an alert that the plane was hijacked shortly
after it took off from the Albanian capital of Tirana for Istanbul, and
he was contacted by Greek air traffic controllers at 5:55 p.m. (10:55
a.m. EDT), 15 miles north of Thessaloniki, Greece, said Dimitris
Stavropoulos, spokesman for Greece's Civil Aviation Authority.

The plane later contacted Italian air traffic controllers and asked to
land in Brindisi, and it was escorted to the ground by two Italian
military jets, according to Nicoletta Tomiselli, a spokeswoman for the
Italian air traffic agency ENAV.

Salvatore Sciacchitano, deputy director of the ENAC civil aviation
agency, said the plane had been carrying 107 passengers and a crew of six.

The Italian security official said the hijacker was seeking to have a
message delivered to the pope, but said he did not know what it was.

Ekinci had converted to Christianity and was an army deserter and
anti-militarist who fled to Albania in 2006, according to the private
Dogan news agency and NTV television in Turkey.

Ekinci, 28, sent a letter to Benedict on Aug. 30, asking for help not to
return to military service in Turkey, saying he was a Christian, Dogan
reported.

"I am Hakan Ekinci, I am a Christian and I never want to serve in a
Muslim army," he was quoted as saying in a letter to Benedict, according
to Dogan, which said it had obtained the letter on a blog posted on the
Internet. "I am begging you for help as the spiritual leader of us,
Christians' world."

"I have been a churchgoer since 1998, I found the true path in Jesus and
in the Bible," Ekinci reportedly wrote.

Guler confirmed that the hijacker was the same person who posted letters
on the Internet.

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Pan Xiaoting:China's "Queen of Nine-Ball"

Sports/Olympics / Celebrity

Pan Xiaoting:China's "Queen of Nine-Ball"

Updated: 2006-09-19 10:04

China's Queen of Nine-Ball Pan Xiaoting[zol.com.cn]

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New FIBA Ranking after FIBA World Championship

Sports/Olympics / Basketball

New FIBA Ranking after FIBA World Championship
(fiba.com)
Updated: 2006-09-04 11:10

SAITAMA (FIBA World Championship) - After the FIBA World Championship
2006 in Japan, FIBA has announced its new world ranking for men's
national teams.

After claiming the bronze medal, USA was able to defend its first
position before Argentina.

With its gold medal in Japan, Spain moved up from fifth to third position
whilst Greece improved from eighth to sixth position.

Team Rank Points
1. USA 832.2
2. ARG 720.0
3. ESP 619.0
4. YUG* 508.0
5. LTU 460.0
6. GRE 429.0
7. ITA 418.0
8. FRA 343.0
9. GER 282.0
10. AUS 279.0
11. CHN 262.0
12. NZL 228.0
13. PUR 217.6
14. ANG 206.0
15. CAN 196.0
16. TUR 194.0
17. BRA 168.0
18. RUS 162.0
19. CRO 125.0
20. SLO 121.0
21. VEN 104.6
22. NGR 100.8
23. ISR 62.0
24. LIB 57.1
25. KOR 51.5
26. QAT 45.2
27. DOM 43.8
28. JPN 39.2
29. ALG 36.0
30. PAN 34.6
31. URU 34.4
32. EGY 34.0
33. LAT 33.0
34. MEX 25.6
35. SEN 20.8
36. BIH 20.0
37. IRI 18.1
38. ISV 16.8
39. UKR 14.0
40. TPE 13.5
41. KSA 12.3
42. TUN 11.0
43. SYR 10.8
44. UZB 9.9
44. KUW 9.9
46. IND 8.7
47. MAR 8.6
48. CIV 7.8
49. CAF 7.6
50. CUB 7.2
50. HKG 7.2
52. CZE 7.0
52. MAS 7.0
52. MLI 7.0
52. MOZ 7.0
56. KAZ 6.3
56. JOR 6.3
58. RSA 6.2
59. MKD 6.0
59. BUL 6.0
61. UAE 5.4
62. EST 5.0
62. HUN 5.0
64. GUM 4.0
65. PHI 3.6
66. THA 3.3
67. SWE 3.0
67. POR 3.0
69. BRN 2.1
70. CPV 2.0
70. GAB 2.0
72. INA 1.5
72. SIN 1.5
74. MAD 1.4

*Unlisted Countries are ranked
75th

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We never give up! Victory belongs to all the team, says Wang

Sports/Olympics / Basketball

We never give up! Victory belongs to all the team, says Wang
(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2006-08-24 17:21

Wang Shipeng's buzzer-beating three-pointer gave China a 78-77 triumph
over Slovenia in a thriller on August 24 to place the Asian Champions in
the last 16 of the FIBA World Championship.

Wang said after the game:" I felt that, I just fired the ball, and it was
in! "

"The victory belongs to all the team! I just made the final one." Wang
added.

China's superstar Yao Ming had a game-high 36 points and pulled down 10
rebounds. Yao said Wang's last-second three-pointer can compare beauty
with his NBA team-mate McGrady getting 13 points within 35 seconds.

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France

Sports/Olympics / Group A

France
(fiba.com)
Updated: 2006-08-15 14:01

ROSTER FRANCE
Name P Heigth DOB Place Of Birth Current Club

6 Mickael
PIETRUS 2/3 197cm
6'6" 07/02/1982 Abymes
(FRA) Golden State Warriors, NBA (USA)

7 Laurent
FOIREST 2/3 197cm
6'6" 18/09/1973 Marseille
(FRA) Pau-Orthez, ProA (FRA)

11 Joseph
GOMIS 1/2 180cm
5'11" 02/07/1978 Evreux
(FRA) Forum Valladolid, ACB (ESP)

11 Florent
PIETRUS 4 199cm
6'6" 19/01/1981 Abymes
(GUA) Unicaja Malaga, ACB (ESP)

12 Boris
DIAW 1/3/5 203cm
6'8" 16/04/1982 Cormeilles
(FRA) Phoenix Suns , NBA (USA)

12 Cyril
JULIAN 4/5 206cm
6'9" 29/03/1974 Castres
(FRA) SLUC Nancy, ProA (FRA)

15 Fr��d��ric
WEIS 5 218cm
7'2" 22/06/1977 Thionville
(FRA) Bilbao, ACB (ESP)

Yannick
BOKOLO 2 188cm
6'2" 19/06/1985 Kinshasa
(COD) Le Mans, ProA (FRA)

Mickael
GELABALE 3 200cm
6'7" 22/05/1983 Pointe Noire
(FRA) Real Madrid, ACB (ESP)

Aymeric
JEANNEAU 1 185cm
6'1" 10/10/1978 La Roche sur Yon
(FRA) Strasbourg, ProA (FRA)

Tony
PARKER 1 186cm
6'1" 17/05/1982 Brugge
(BEL) San Antonio Spurs, NBA (USA)

Johan
PETRO 5 213cm
7'0" 27/01/1986 Paris
(FRA) Seattle Supersonics, NBA (USA)

Ronny
TURIAF 4/5 206cm
6'9" 13/01/1983 Fort de France
(FRA) Los Angeles Lakers, NBA (USA)

Average height: 198cm/6'6"

COACHES
Head coach: Claude BERGEAUD

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Israeli PM endorses UN cease-fire deal

WORLD / Middle East

Israeli PM endorses UN cease-fire deal
(AP)
Updated: 2006-08-12 07:20

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert endorsed an emerging
Mideast cease-fire deal late Friday, after a day of dramatic day
brinksmanship including a threat to expand the ground war in Lebanon.

The agreement calls for the deployment of 30,000 Lebanese and U.N. troops
along the Israel-Lebanon border. It falls short of some of Israel's
demands, including a strong mandate for the U.N. forces to take on
Hezbollah guerrillas.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert attends a joint news conference with
Israeli President Moshe Katzav in Jerusalem in this August 8, 2006 photo.
[Reuters]

However, the draft is the best chance yet for peace after more than four
weeks of war that has killed more than 800 people, destroyed Lebanon's
infrastructure and inflamed tensions across the Middle East.

Neither the Lebanese government nor Hezbollah has said publicly whether
they would sign on to the deal, but it was widely assumed that they did
not object to it. Plans to take the resolution to a vote were announced
in New York shortly after U.S. Mideast envoy, Assistant Secretary of
State David Welch, met for a second time Friday with Lebanese Prime
Minister Fuad Saniora.

Israeli officials said Israel would not halt fighting until Israel's
Cabinet has approved the cease-fire deal in its weekly meeting Sunday. It
was not immediately clear whether the military would expand its ground
offensive in the time remaining, or would only hold existing positions.

Only six hours passed from an initial decision by Olmert to broaden the
ground offensive to his acceptance of the cease-fire deal. The zigzag
reflected Israel's dilemma after a month of inconclusive fighting.

Israel has been unable to defeat Hezbollah and was concerned about
growing Israeli casualties, as well as international condemnation, if the
war continued. However, Olmert also feared that accepting a deal that
does not rein in the guerrillas could lead to another war down the road
and hurt him politically.

Olmert's initial order to send troops deeper into Hezbollah territory
came even as U.N. Security Council negotiations reached the final stretch
in New York.

Several hours later, France and the United States reached agreement on a
final draft, to be put to a vote later Friday. The draft would authorize
the deployment of 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon, along with
15,000 Lebanese troops, into the region "as Israel withdraws."

The Security Council, repeatedly accused of taking too long to come up
with a response to fighting, would leave out several key demands from
both Israel and Lebanon in efforts to come up with a workable arrangement.

"You never get a deal like this with everybody getting everything that
they want," Britain's Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said. "The
question is, has everybody got enough for this to stick and for it to be
enforceable? Nobody wants to go back to where we were before this last
episode started."

Despite Lebanese objections, Israel will be allowed to continue defensive
operations, and a dispute over the Chebaa Farms area along the
Syria-Lebanon-Israel border will be left for later. Israel won't get its
wish for an entirely new multinational force separate from the U.N.
peacekeepers that have been stationed in south Lebanon since 1978.

There is also no call for the release of Lebanese prisoners held by
Israel or a demand for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Although the draft resolution emphasizes the need for the "unconditional
release" of the two Israeli soldiers whose July 12 capture by Hezbollah
sparked the conflict, that call is not included in the list of steps
required for a lasting cease-fire.

The ongoing fighting has killed more than 800 people - including at least
732 Lebanese and 122 Israelis.

After nightfall, there were some signs of troop movement on the
Israel-Lebanon border. Battle-ready soldiers carrying heavy backpacks
marched near the border as tanks assembled nearby. In south Lebanon,
there were no reports of increased troop activity. Israeli officials gave
conflicting assessments on whether a wider campaign was under way.

More than 10,000 Israeli troops are already fighting Hezbollah guerrillas
in south Lebanon. In the new phase, Israeli forces would push toward
Lebanon's Litani River, some 18 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border,
attempting to capture more than twice as much territory as they hold now.

Olmert has faced growing criticism at home for the army's inability to
halt the rocket barrages; Hezbollah has fired more than 3,500 rockets in
the monthlong war. Polls also indicated that his initially approval
rating, high at the start of the war, was slipping.

Commentators have suggested Olmert's political career was at stake, and
that he might even be forced to step down. Many Israelis believe
defeating Hezbollah is essential for their country's long-term security.

In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes pounded south Beirut and border crossings
to Syria, killing at least 15 people as ground fighting picked up
intensity in the south of the country.

In the Bekaa Valley, an Israeli drone fired missiles into a convoy of
refugees fleeing attacks in the southern town of Marjayoun, killing at
least six people and wounding 16 others, an Associated Press photographer
said.

The Israeli military said it had no knowledge of the incident. The army
noted that it had imposed a travel ban on south Lebanon, and had received
no request to coordinate a convoy in that area.

Throughout the day, civilians had been fleeing fighting in the Christian
town of Marjayoun in long convoys after Israeli forces entered earlier
this week.

Lutfallah Daher, the photographer, was with the convoy when it was hit
near the town of Chtaura, about 30 miles north of the Litani River.
Israel had warned it would attack any vehicle on roads south of the
Litani, assuming it was carrying Hezbollah weapons or fighters.

Daher said the convoy consisted of more than 600 civilian vehicles and
others carrying a detachment of 350 Lebanese soldiers and police when it
left the area around Marjayoun. He said very few of the vehicles had left
the convoy when it was hit.

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Ace Zhao Ruirui expected to be back

Sports/Olympics / China

Ace Zhao Ruirui expected to be back
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-07-28 20:45

Beijing - 2003 volleyball World Cup MVP Zhao Ruirui may come back from a
serious injury later this year in time for the 2008 Olympic Games
selection, said a senior medical officer for the national teams on Friday.

Zhao, Asia's tallest spiker, suffered a recurrent broken bone in her
right leg minutes into her first Athens Olympic Games match in 2004 and
has been sidelined since then.

"Her rehabilitation has been under the supervision of a group of medical
experts and goes well now," said Li Guoping, chief medical officer of the
Chinese Olympic Committee.

"In addition, she is gaining back her confidence too," Li said.

"So it is hopeful for her to come back later this year," he added. It is
believed that China will start the selection of the athletes for the 2008
Beijing Olympic Games by the end of the year.

Zhao reported to the Chinese women's team training camp in February, only
to find out that her fragile bone was yet able to endure hard training.
Then her training intensity was decreased according to suggestions of
medical experts and her expected return at the Grand Prix in August was
postponed.

"There is an old saying in China regarding to the recovery of bone
fracture, that is, you need 100 days to recover from a broken bone. But
in Zhao's case, things are very different," he said.

Zhao first broke her bone during training four months ahead of Athens
Olympic Games. When she turned up on the Athens volleyball court,
everyone thought she was fit.

"But her injury was a special kind and can not be cured through normal
methods. It will take her a much longer time to recover, which we came to
realize gradually," he said.

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China's entrepreneurs offer a new path

WORLD / Wall Street Journal Exclusive

China's entrepreneurs offer a new path
By HENNY SENDER (WSJ)
Updated: 2006-07-14 13:45

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB115284232195906595-iBKDv5GjK34gQbv3D
9rkOTIBd1E_20060720.html?mod=regionallinks

CHANGSHA, China -- The expanse where Broad Ltd. makes its giant cooling
systems on the outskirts of Changsha, capital of China's inland Hunan
province, isn't everybody's idea of what a factory looks like, especially
in China.

A scaled-down replica of Buckingham Palace stands a few hundred yards
from the cavernous hangars where the air-conditioning systems are built.
The palace flies the red flag of the People's Republic of China rather
than the British Royal Standard. As the banner flaps in the wind, a group
of company recruits jogs by, looking like members of the People's
Liberation Army in their camouflage uniforms.

Using a technology that doesn't rely on electricity, the company's
coolers end up everywhere from facilities built for the 2004 Athens
Olympics to the new Bangkok International airport. Not far from a
building where computer banks monitor the performance of the cooling
systems all over the world, Zhang Yue, who founded Broad in 1988, houses
his helicopter and his jet plane.

Mr. Zhang is the new face of China, where private enterprise was only
officially recognized a few years ago. Today, China's entrepreneurs offer
a third path between the ailing state enterprises that account for a mere
30% of China's output and the foreign enterprises that account for over
half of the country's exports and are increasingly making inroads in the
domestic market as well.

If China is to flourish, its best hope lies not in state-owned
enterprises, which still rely on government support and subsidized
credit, but with a group of entrepreneurs such as Mr. Zhang. This group,
which barely existed a decade ago, has had great successes, but they
often lack the discipline and experience to build lasting business
empires.

The rise of the entrepreneurs comes as capital flows not only to state
behemoths, but to new enterprises. "There is a gold rush in China because
Chinese entrepreneurs can get capital and use other people's money," says
Andy Xie, chief economist for Morgan Stanley in Asia. "They have wild
dreams. But you can't always figure out where and how they make money."

"Private entrepreneurs are a transforming force in China," adds Fred Hu,
a managing director at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., who divides his time
between Beijing and Hong Kong. "But you can't look too closely at most of
them." Mr. Hu, who is also from Changsha and sits on the board of Broad,
says Mr. Zhang is different.

Unlike Mr. Zhang, 70% of the richest private entrepreneurs in China are
property developers, says Morgan Stanley's Mr. Xie. Most of those who
aren't developers are essentially traders, buying and selling goods and
companies. By contrast, Mr. Zhang makes things for which there is
demonstrable demand. At the same time, he is an indirect beneficiary of
the real-estate boom, because many of his customers are developers.

Moreover, while most manufacturing in China is all about economies of
scale that result in the lowest price, Mr. Zhang says he doesn't compete
by undercutting competitors. He says his products are more expensive than
those of competitors in Japan and Korea. The equipment used is world
class and imported to his Broad factory from all over the world. Mr.
Zhang is also unusual in that he is focused on the long term. By
contrast, "most entrepreneurs see investment as detracting from profits,"
says X.D. Yang, co-head of buyout firm Carlyle Group's investments in
Asia. "They only draw up one-year budgets. They don't build their
companies to last for years and years."

In a world where capital has never been priced realistically, and, until
recently, loans were considered government disbursements rather than debt
that had to be repaid, Mr. Zhang is careful about how he seeks financing.
"He is the only one I have ever met in China who has not asked me to get
him money through Goldman," Mr. Hu adds.

Mr. Zhang also invests time and energy in his work force. He recruits
from all over China, showing visitors a list of recent recruits and
noting how many come from China's top universities.

Certificates attesting to the fact that his company paid more taxes than
any other private company are displayed prominently in the executive
suite. Last summer Premier Wen Jiabao visited Broad, a trip recorded in
glossy marketing materials. "You must be Zhang Yue. I know you!" Premier
Wen exclaimed in his greeting," the material states. "Yes I am, Premier,
welcome to Broad Town," Mr. Zhang is said to have replied.

Mr. Zhang insists he is a rare breed in China, since he both pays taxes
and doesn't pay bribes. He also says his refusal to pay bribes is one
reason why he has failed to win certain contracts.

Mr. Zhang has become a spokesman for China's new capitalism, answering
questions with observations as pithy as anything Chairman Mao may have
come up with. "Failure is a step to success. If you keep trying, you
can't fail," he counsels recruits in an address delivered while the group
in camouflage stands in front of Broad's five-star guest house. He pens
essays outlining his philosophy toward such weighty matters as
globalization and environmental degradation.

All this is a far cry from 1992, when he made his first sale, a one
million yuan ($125,062) order from Changsha's friendship store. When he
first conceived of Broad, China was in the midst of a power shortage and
the idea of generating cooling systems that didn't rely on electricity
was intrinsically appealing. Unfortunately, later in the decade China had
a surplus of power in response to those chronic outages and orders dried
up.

Today, conservation has become a top priority of the central government
with much of the 11th five-year plan devoted to encouraging conservation.
Mr. Zhang says orders continue to flow in for his environmentally correct
cooling systems.

Mr. Zhang says he built his empire with 30,000 yuan he earned from an
interior-decorating business in Guangzhou, in southern China, early in
his career. He says his brother, a graduate of Harbin Institute of
Technology, developed the original technology.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Mr. Zhang is he has built his
business in Changsha, where Chairman Mao grew up and where many take
pride in that association. An agricultural province, it was known mainly
as the place to go through to get from the cities of the south to
Beijing, an overnight train ride away. There were so few economic
opportunities, ambitious young people left for the brighter lights of
Guangdong.

Mr. Zhang is part of a broader transformation that has seen Hunan produce
a spurt of entrepreneurial activity. "If it can happen in Hunan, it can
happen anywhere in China," says Mr. Hu.

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Buffon wins Yashin award

Sports/Olympics / Soccer

Buffon wins Yashin award
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-07-10 17:14

Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has won the Lev Yashin Award for the
best goalkeeper at the FIFA World Cup finals.

Italy's Gianluigi Buffon makes a stop during their World Cup 2006 final
soccer match against France in Berlin July 9, 2006.[Reuters]

Italy, who won the 2006 World Cup title on Sunday night, conceded only
two goals in their seven matches in Germany. The first was an own goal in
the 1-1 draw with the United States in the group stage. The other was a
penalty made by France playmaker Zinedine Zidane in the final.

Buffon, the Juventus star, is a worthy successor to Belgium's legendary
Michel Preud' Homme, flamboyant French keeper Fabien Barthez and
Germany's Oliver Kahn, the Yashin award winners in 1994, 1998 and 2002
respectively.

Buffon has been singled out as a potential all-time great ever since
making his Serie A debut at tender age of 17 years and nine months.

Buffon wasted no time in making his mark at Germany 2006. Buffon's
acrobatics in his side's opening game against Ghana were ample proof of
his full recovery from the potentially career-threatening shoulder injury
suffered at the beginning of the 2005/06 season.

Despite having to endure a number of other knocks and niggles throughout
the campaign, Buffon timed his return to full fitness perfectly, hitting
top form to help the Vecchia Signora clinch the league title and the
Azzurri lift the FIFA World Cup.

Buffon's toughest test came in the group game against Czech Republic,
going head-to-head with Juventus club-mate Pavel Nedved. After an
intriguing duel, it was the keeper who came out on top, keeping a clean
sheet in Italy's 2-0 win.

In one of the highlights of Italy's campaign, Buffon ran the length of
field to celebrate with his team-mates after Marco Materazzi's opener
against Czech Republic. With the benefit of hindsight, this was the first
sign that an indomitable team spirit was being forged among the members
of Marcello Lippi's squad.

In the Final itself, Buffon overcame the blow of conceding an early
Zinedine Zidane penalty to put in an exemplary display, typified in the
second half when he tipped over a goalbound Zidane header. Not may would
argue against the fact that Buffon is a worthy FIFA World Cup winner and
a deserved recipient of the Lev Yashin Award.

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Germany could accept nuclear enrichment in Iran

WORLD / Middle East

Germany could accept nuclear enrichment in Iran
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-06-29 08:56

Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium for power generation provided
there is close monitoring by U.N. inspectors to ensure it is not trying
to develop atomic weapons, Germany's defense minister said.

German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung during an interview with Reuters
at the defence ministry in Berlin, June 26, 2006. Iran should be allowed
to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes with close monitoring by U.N.
inspectors to ensure that it is not trying to develop atomic weapons,
Germany's defence minister said. [Reuters]

The minister's comments may suggest that after years of failed
negotiations with Iran, Germany and some other Western powers were
willing to compromise with Iran over enrichment in order to resolve
peacefully the nuclear stand-off with Tehran.

But it was clear that this view was unacceptable to Washington, which
contacted the German government to clarify it and said Berlin had
dismissed the Reuters story as "erroneous."

But the German government did not challenge the story.

In an interview with Reuters this week, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung
was asked if Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium under the scrutiny
of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He said: "Yes, I think so. The offer includes everything. That means the
civilian use of nuclear energy is possible but not atomic weapons. And
monitoring mechanisms must be applied. I think it would be wise for Iran
to accept this offer," he said.

Jung was referring to a June 6 offer of incentives made to Iran by
Germany and the five permanent U.N. Security Council members -- the
United States, Britain, France, China and Russia.

State Department spokesman deputy spokesman Adam Ereli denied there were
any divisions among the major powers. He said that the German government
had been contacted about the interview and told Washington "this is an
erroneous story."

But Berlin did not deny it or say that it was "erroneous."

German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said in a statement to Reuters
that it stood firm with the five council members on the issue of Iran in
backing the June 6 offer and reiterated that Berlin wanted Iran to
suspend enrichment in order to enable negotiations on the offer to take
place.

"It's up to Iran, through a suspension of enrichment, to create the
conditions for negotiations and win back international trust," Wilhelm
said.

"Nothing has changed regarding the position of the six countries and the
German government," he said.

Western countries worry that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons
under cover of an atomic power program. Iran says it only wants peaceful
nuclear energy.

Diplomats familiar with the offer say it does allow for Iran to enrich,
though the timeframe would have to be negotiated.

Jung did not mention any timeframe when Iran - which has been enriching
uranium for months on a small scale - could be permitted to make nuclear
fuel with the West's blessing. But he said close IAEA oversight would be
sufficient to show the world whether Tehran's nuclear program was as
peaceful as it says.

"IAEA inspections can provide those assurances through monitoring. That
is not a problem," he said.

It may be that the implication that Iran could, at least in theory,
safely enrich uranium under IAEA supervion is what prompted the U.S.
reaction to Jung's comments. Many in Washington would prefer that Iran
not enrich at all for many years to come - if ever.

But according to one IAEA diplomat, who requested anonymity due to the
sensitivity of the issue, there are officials in all six of the countries
that made the offer who agree with Jung.

Jung, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian
Democrats, said he understood U.S. reservations but added that a ban on
Iranian enrichment work was unrealistic.

"One cannot forbid Iran from doing what other countries in the world are
doing in accordance with international law. The key point is whether a
step toward nuclear weapons is taken. This cannot happen," he said.

Although all six countries that back the incentives offer would prefer
that Iran suspend its enrichment program, there is growing concern that
the deadlock over whether Iran should be allowed keep its enrichment
program could prevent negotiations with Iran from ever taking place,
diplomats in Vienna have said.

The IAEA diplomat said Jung's comments were a nice surprise.

"If this position is not retracted or undermined by accusations of
going-it-alone, then it's real news," the diplomat said. "If we all want
a negotiated solution, this is the only realistic, sensible and
reasonable way forward."

Tehran has yet to respond to the offer and the United States and Germany
have called for an answer by the G8 summit in July.

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Mime legend Marcel Marceau dies at 84

? ?

WORLD / Newsmaker

Mime legend Marcel Marceau dies at 84

(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-24 14:29

PARIS -- Marcel Marceau, the master of mime who transformed silence into
poetry with lithe gestures and pliant facial expressions that spoke to
generations of young and old, has died. He was 84.

French mime Marcel Marceau is shown in this 1970 file photo. Marceau, who
revived the art of mime and brought poetry to silence, has died, French
media reported Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007. [AP]

Wearing white face paint, soft shoes and a battered hat topped with a red
flower, Marceau breathed new life into an art that dates to ancient
Greece. He played out the human comedy through his alter-ego Bip without
ever uttering a word.

Offstage, he was famously chatty. "Never get a mime talking. He won't
stop," he once said.

A French Jew, Marceau escaped deportation to a Nazi death camp during
World War II, unlike his father who died in Auschwitz. Marceau worked
with the French Resistance to protect Jewish children, and later used the
memories of his own life to feed his art.

He gave life to a wide spectrum of characters, from a peevish waiter to a
lion tamer to an old woman knitting, and to the best-known Bip.

His biggest inspiration was Charlie Chaplin. In turn, Marceau inspired
countless young performers?-- Michael Jackson borrowed his famous
"moonwalk" from a Marceau sketch, "Walking Against the Wind."

Marceau's former assistant Emmanuel Vacca said on French radio that the
peformer died Saturday in Paris, but gave no details.

In one of Marceau's most poignant and philosophical acts, "Youth,
Maturity, Old Age, Death," Marceau wordlessly showed the passing of an
entire life in just minutes.

He took his art to stages across the world, performing in Asia, Europe
and the United States, his "second country," where he first performed in
1955 and returned every two years. He performed for Lyndon Johnson,
Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

Tireless, Marceau took his art to Cuba for the first time in September
2005.

"France loses one of its most eminent ambassadors," President Nicolas
Sarkozy said in a statement. Prime Minister Francois Fillon praised
Marceau as "the master" with the rare gift of "being able to communicate
with each and everyone beyond the barriers of language."

The son of a butcher, the mime was born Marcel Mangel on March 22, 1923,
in Strasbourg, France. His father Charles, a baritone with a love of
song, introduced his son to the world of music and theater at an early
age. The boy was captivated by the silent film stars of the era: Chaplin,
Buster Keaton and the Marx brothers.

When the Nazis marched into eastern France, he fled with family members
to the southwest and changed his last name to Marceau to hide his Jewish
origins.

With his brother Alain, Marceau became active in the French Resistance,
altering children's identity cards by changing birth dates to trick the
Nazis into thinking they were too young to be deported. Because he spoke
English, he was recruited to be a liaison officer with Gen. George S.
Patton's army.

His father was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944.

"Yes, I cried for him," Marceau said. But he said he also thought of the
others killed.

"Among those kids was maybe an Einstein, a Mozart, somebody who (would
have) found a cancer drug," he told reporters in 2000. "That is why we
have a great responsibility. Let us love one another."

Some of Marceau's later work reflected the somber experiences. Even the
character Bip, who chased butterflies in his debut, took on the grand
themes of humanity.

Marcel's life as a performer began with the liberation of Paris from the
Nazis. He enrolled in Charles Dullin's School of Dramatic Art, studying
with the renowned mime Etienne Decroux.

On a tiny stage at the Theatre de Poche, a smoke-filled Left Bank
cabaret, he sought to perfect the style of mime that would become his
trademark.

The on-stage persona Bip was born in 1947, a sad-faced double whose eyes
lit up with childlike wonder as he discovered the world. Bip was a direct
descendant of the 19th century harlequin, but his clownish gestures,
Marceau said, were inspired in part by Chaplin and Keaton.

Marceau likened his character to a modern-day Don Quixote, "alone in a
fragile world filled with injustice and beauty."

Dressed in a white sailor suit, a top hat?-- a red rose perched on top?--
Bip covered the gamut of human experience, and emotion. He went to war
and ran a matrimonial service.

In one famous sketch, "Public Garden," Marceau played all the characters
in a park, from little boys playing ball to old women with knitting
needles.

In 1949, Marceau's newly formed mime troupe was the only one of its kind
in Europe. But it was only after a hugely successful tour across the
United States in the mid-1950s that Marceau received the acclaim that
would make him an international star.

Single-handedly, Marceau revived the art of mime, which dates to
antiquity and continued until the 19th century through the Italian
Commedia dell'Arte, or improvised theater.

"I have a feeling that I did for mime what (Andres) Segovia did for the
guitar, what (Pablo) Casals did for the cello," he once told The
Associated Press in an interview. Marceau started his own company, then
in 1978 the International School of Mime-Drama.

Marceau also made film appearances. The most famous was Mel Brooks' 1976
film "Silent Movie"?-- he had the only speaking line, "Non!"

As he aged, Marceau kept performing, never losing the agility that made
him famous.

A perforated ulcer nearly killed Marceau in the Soviet Union in December
1985. He was rushed home to Paris in critical condition, but bounced back
to the stage five months later.

On top of his Legion of Honor and his countless honorary degrees, he was
invited to be a United Nations goodwill ambassador for a 2002 conference
on aging.

"If you stop at all when you are 70 or 80, you cannot go on," he told the
AP in 2003. "You have to keep working."

Marceau was married three times and had four children. Funeral
arrangements were not immediately known.

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* Iran shows off new missile, taunts Israel
* Fukuda wins Japan leadership race; to become PM

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* Confidence in dollar sags after Fed rate cut
* China bows out with head held high
* Yang, Rice meet on bilateral ties
* Iran, US not headed for war
* Fukuda wins Japan leadership race

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Youngster stays cool to score Beijing upset

? ?

Sports / Tennis

Youngster stays cool to score Beijing upset

By Zhao Rui (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-24 07:08

Hungarian teenager Agens Szavay capped off a tremendous week by defeating
second seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in three sets to lift her first
China Open crown yesterday.

The eighth seed launched a scintillating comeback, fighting from 5-2 down
in the second set to win nine consecutive games to take the match 7-6
(8/6), 5-7, 6-2 in Beijing.

With the title, the teenager is set to realize her childhood dream of a
top-20 ranking.

It was the 18-year-old Szavay's second title of the season after winning
in Palermo and becoming her nation's first US Open quarterfinalist last
month.

She entered the final without dropping a set against China's giant killer
Peng Shuai, who beat Martina Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo.

"This one is maybe the most important one for me," said Szavay.

"I was a little bit nervous because I know she is world No 3. I just
tried to hit the ball in and I am very happy I played at my level.

"My biggest weapon is my backhand - I think that's the key of my success
tonight."

Coming to Beijing at the last minute after world No 1 Justine Henin
withdrew, Jankovic showed she is anything but a pushover.

The Serb has won Tier I events in Charleston and Rome this season to rise
to a career-high rank of No 3.

She outplayed Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals on Saturday to end one
the year's most compelling comeback stories.

"She is amazing," Jankovic said of the Hungarian.

"I had some chances that I didn't convert, that's a pretty disappointing
thing."

A semifinalist here in Beijing last year, 22-year-old Jankovic took
control at the start of the match and, after exchanging early breaks,
saved two set points to narrowly win the first set with an 8-6 tiebreak.

The Hungarian then seemed to lose patience, smashed the racket and gave
Jankovic an easy 5-2 lead by committing a string of unforced errors.

But with everybody ready to celebrate the Serb's fifth crown of the
season, Szavay suddenly opened her account, rallying to level at 1-1
before breaking five successive serves.

Jankovic battled hard to win her own serve and broke to make it 5-2 in
the deciding set. But it proved to be a fleeting respite from Szavay's
assault as the Hungarian won the next game to win the match in two hours
and 56 minutes.

Telling statistics show that Szavay fired 43 winners to Jankovic's 15.

"I cannot say I played very bad because I saw she was a different player
at the end of the second set," Jankovic said.

"I fought to stay but she just didn't make any mistakes in the last set."

Jankovic, who has played 16 tournaments this year, said she would cut the
number of matches in a bid to focus on bigger events next season.

"I think I would cut half of the matches next year," she said.

"I am sure I played too many tournaments, so I am very very tired now.

"I had too many bad play in so many events and my body was put to the
limit.

"I cannot wait the end of the season and I just want to have a very good
rest and win more matches at major tournaments next year."

Earlier yesterday, Chuang Chia-jung, who teamed up with Hsien Su-wei,
beat Han Xinyun and XU Yifan 7-6(7/2), 6-3 to win the doubles trophy.

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* China coach tries to save job in Asian Cup
* NFL hopes its game doesn't get lost in translation in China
* Late starters face uphill task in China
* LA Galaxy to present Beckham on July 13

Today's Top News ?

* China bows out with head held high
* Yang, Rice meet on bilateral ties
* LDP picks Fukuda to lead Japan
* Iran, US not headed for war
* Fukuda wins Japan leadership race

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Messi double sinks Sevilla at Nou Camp

? ?

Sports / Soccer

Messi double sinks Sevilla at Nou Camp

(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-23 17:13

MADRID - Argentina forward Lionel Messi stole the show again when he
steered Barcelona to a 2-1 home win over Sevilla in the Primera Liga on
Saturday.

The 20-year-old was central to the 3-0 win over Olympique Lyon in the
Champions League on Wednesday and carried his team to victory once more
with two late goals in the Nou Camp.

The first was a spectacular volley and the second a penalty, and only a
fine save from Andres Palop denied him a hat-trick.

Frederic Kanoute pulled a goal back for Sevilla at the very end but it
was too late to stop Barca claiming all three points as they moved up to
second place a point behind Real Madrid.

On Sunday, leaders Real visit promoted Valladolid and Valencia travel to
Real Betis.

Sevilla, who suffered their first league defeat, are third three points
off the pace but with a game in hand of Barca.

Earlier, striker Javi Guerrero scored two stylish goals to earn
Recreativo Huelva their first victory of the season with a 2-1 comeback
win at home against Espanyol.

Andres Iniesta started for Barca in place of Ronaldinho, who pulled out
of the squad with a muscle strain earlier in the day, and he was
heavily-involved in a breathless opening.

Iniesta and Messi drove their team forward from the flanks but it was
Sevilla, decked out in a garish pink strip, who carved the first clear
opening at the Nou Camp.

MESSI OPENER

Renato's header in the 21st minute struck the outside of the post but the
teams appeared to cancel each other out after that. It was not until the
later stages that the game came to life.

In the 70th minute Rafael Marquez, who had already headed against the
post, put Thierry Henry through with a long pass but Palop just got his
hand to the shot and the ball bobbled on to the post.

However, he could do nothing about Messi's opener in the 72nd.

Henry threaded a pass into the area and Messi's control flicked the ball
into the air before the Argentine acrobatically hammered the ball into
the net with a flying volley.

Seven minutes later, substitute Giovani dos Santos was wrestled to the
ground by Christian Poulsen for a penalty.

Messi sent Palop the wrong way from the spot and Barca threatened to run
riot.

Sevilla's Renato put Mali striker Kanoute through to score in a
one-on-one in injury time though and the final seconds were tested the
home side's nerves before the final whistle.

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British PM orders hospitals deep clean

? ?

WORLD / Europe

British PM orders hospitals deep clean

(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-23 09:24

London - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has ordered a deep clean of
every hospital in Britain to tackle hospital "superbugs", he told the
News of the World.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, seen here on 04 September 2007, has
ordered a deep clean of every hospital in Britain to tackle hospital
"superbugs". [AFP]

Every hospital will be disinfected and scrubbed clean over the next year,
the prime minister wrote in an article for the Sunday newspaper which was
made available ahead of time.

The National Health Service is currently being plagued by deadly
infections such as Clostridium difficile, or C.Diff, and MRSA, or
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which are resistant to
treatment with most available antiobiotics.

In the undated photograph released by West Middlesex University Hospital
in England on Monday Sept. 17, 2007, junior doctor Naomi Smith wears a
new uniform which could replace the traditional white coat as part of the
fight against hospital superbugs.?[Reuters]?

"A ward at a time, walls, ceilings, fittings and ventilation shafts will
be disinfected and scrubbed clean," Brown wrote.

A recent report found British hospitals were among the worst in Europe
for superbugs, behind poorer European Union members like Slovakia and
Poland.

Britain has also scored lower than other European countries in studies on
survival rates for cancer and stroke victims, despite spending far more
in many cases on treatment.

Figures show that C.Diff was a factor in more than 3,800 deaths across
the country while MRSA contributed to 1,650 deaths caused by
hospital-acquired infections.

The bacterium, commonly transmitted while patients are in the hospital,
most often affects those with weak immune systems and the elderly.

Brown also said new measures would be introduced to allow patients to see
GPs out of hours and at weekends. He said access would also be improved,
whether it be NHS walk-in centres or GP surgeries in high-street stores
like Boots or Tesco.

Screening for breast and colon cancer will be widened to include more
people and test results for cervical cancer screenings will be issued
within 14 days, Brown said, without specifying when the changes would
take place.

"Over the past few months, I've been around the country visiting
hospitals, GP surgeries and health centres. I've learned from what people
have told me and I've heard the need for change," Brown wrote.

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* Japan's ruling party choosing new leader

Today's Top News ?

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Lamp festival at a park in Beijing

? ?

PHOTO / China

Lamp festival at a park in Beijing

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-22 16:47

Tourists walk through an illuminated lamp decoration during a lamp
festival themed with the Beijing Olympic Games at a park in Beijing
September 22, 2007. [Xinhua]

?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? 4?? ??

Today's Top News ?

* US toymaker apologizes to China over flawed goods
* Olympic torch to bypass Taiwan
* New bishop ordained in Beijing
* US shield is to spy on Russia - FM
* One more missing Russian tourist found

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Powell admits giving up in final

42 killed in Indian bombings

? ?

WORLD / Asia-Pacific

42 killed in Indian bombings

(AP)
Updated: 2007-08-26 15:42

HYDERABAD - Foreign-based Islamic extremists may have been behind a pair
of bombings that tore through a popular restaurant and a park in this
southern Indian city, killing at least 42 people, an Indian official said
Sunday.

Saturday's attacks were the latest in a series of bombings to hit India
in the last year, and nearly all have been blamed on Islamic extremists
with foreign connections?even when Muslims were targeted.

Medics move a person injured in a bomb blast on a stretcher, at a
hospital in Lumbini Park in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad August
25, 2007. [Reuters]?

"Available information points to the involvement of terrorist
organizations based in Bangladesh and Pakistan," Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy,
the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state, where Hyderabad is located,
told reporters after an emergency state Cabinet meeting.

Reddy did not name any groups, but Indian media reports, quoting unnamed
security officials, identified the Bangladesh-based Harkatul Jihad
Al-Islami organization.

Reddy declined to provide more details. "It is not possible to divulge
all this information," he said.

Harkatul, which is banned in Bangladesh, wants to establish strict
Islamic rule in the Muslim-majority nation governed by secular laws.

Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry said Dhaka had not been informed of the
allegations.

A spate of other bombings in India have been blamed on Pakistan-based
Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, or Army of the Pure, one of more than a dozen Islamic
insurgent groups fighting to oust India from Muslim-majority Kashmir.
Pakistan has denied charges of training and supporting the militants.

Kashmir is divided between predominantly Hindu India and mostly Muslim
Pakistan, with both claiming it in its entirety. The rebels want
Kashmir's independence or merger with Pakistan.

Indian authorities say Harkatul was also behind the bombing of a historic
Hyderabad mosque in May that killed 11 people, although little evidence
linking the group to the blasts has been made public. But many Muslims
say Hindu extremists were to blame.

Following that attack, five people were killed in clashes between
security forces and Muslim protesters, angered by what they said was a
lack of police protection.

?? ?? 1?? 2?? ??

Top World News ?

* US Attorney General Gonzales has resigned
* Japan PM reshuffles Cabinet
* Greece declares emergency after fires kill 47
* Flood leaves more than 100,000 people homeless in DPRK
* At least 37 killed in twin bombings in southern Indian city

Today's Top News ?

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* Greek fires threaten ancient Olympia

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? ? Sports / China Moses predicts Liu Xiang to be Osaka star (AFP) Updated: 2007-08-2 ? ? Sports / China Moses predicts Liu Xiang to be Osaka star (AFP) Updated: 2007-08-24 14:44 Legendary?hurdler Ed Moses has tipped China's Liu Xiang to be the "star of the show" at the World Championships, which will begin tomorrow in Osaka. Liu Xiang of China performs in the 110 metres hurdles during the British Grand Prix at the Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield, England, in July. With the world athletics championships just a week away, Liu is running at 80 percent capacity and looking for more speed to clinch the 110m hurdles gold. [AP] Moses, who won 122 consecutive 400m hurdles races between 1977 and 1987, sees Liu Xiang as in a league of his own. "I think the hurdler from China is going to be the star of the show," the American told the Japan Times, adding that Liu Xiang had all the right attributes to dominate his 110m hurdles discipline. "If you look at the Chinese hurdler, he's taller than I am but his legs are like four inches (10cm) shorter," he said. "He has a very long torso, which for him is perfect for running the 110m hurdles because he won't run into the hurdles as often as a guy with six inch longer legs, because you are talking about 10 metres and three steps." Liu Xiang, a national hero in his homeland, won bronze and silver medals at the worlds in 2003 and 2005 respectively and is determined to add the top prize this time round before capping it with another Olympic title next year. With four-time champion Allen Johnson of the United States missing the championships, Cuba's Dayron Robles and American Terrence Trammell are shaping as Liu Xiang's main threats. Moses, who set four world records during his peak, added that he had generally not been impressed with track and field performances this season, compared to last year. "This year has been a very slow year for track and field in terms of times," he said. "Last year was a dynamic year. You had a lot of super-fast times in super events but for some reason it seems like the times have been suppressed. Why? I don't know." Related Stories ? Yao Ming and Liu Xiang attend Olympics one-year countdown event =========================================================================== Liu Xiang re-tops IAAF ranking =========================================================================== Liu Xiang sprints second Europe tour win =========================================================================== Liu Xiang wins 110 hurdles at Athletissima =========================================================================== China's Liu Xiang wins in Lausanne =========================================================================== Richards to meet an example, Liu Xiang to set an example =========================================================================== Hurdler Liu Xiang aims to break record again =========================================================================== Top Sports News ? * Brazil break duck with Robinho hat-trick * China coach tries to save job in Asian Cup * NFL hopes its game doesn't get lost in translation in China * Late starters face uphill task in China * LA Galaxy to present Beckham on July 13 Today's Top News ? * Two miners crawl out after being trapped 130 hours * Water polluters face stiff penalties * Greek fires kill 60 but spare Olympia * Bombings kill 42 in India * Chinese students talk with ISS astronaunt Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours 20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net 4 14:44 Legendary?hurdler Ed Moses has tipped China's Liu Xiang to be the "star of the show" at the World Championships, which will begin tomorrow in Osaka. Liu Xiang of China performs in the 110 metres hurdles during the British Grand Prix at the Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield, England, in July. With the world athletics championships just a week away, Liu is running at 80 percent capacity and looking for more speed to clinch the 110m hurdles gold. [AP] Moses, who won 122 consecutive 400m hurdles races between 1977 and 1987, sees Liu Xiang as in a league of his own. "I think the hurdler from China is going to be the star of the show," the American told the Japan Times, adding that Liu Xiang had all the right attributes to dominate his 110m hurdles discipline. "If you look at the Chinese hurdler, he's taller than I am but his legs are like four inches (10cm) shorter," he said. "He has a very long torso, which for him is perfect for running the 110m hurdles because he won't run into the hurdles as often as a guy with six inch longer legs, because you are talking about 10 metres and three steps." Liu Xiang, a national hero in his homeland, won bronze and silver medals at the worlds in 2003 and 2005 respectively and is determined to add the top prize this time round before capping it with another Olympic title next year. With four-time champion Allen Johnson of the United States missing the championships, Cuba's Dayron Robles and American Terrence Trammell are shaping as Liu Xiang's main threats. Moses, who set four world records during his peak, added that he had generally not been impressed with track and field performances this season, compared to last year. "This year has been a very slow year for track and field in terms of times," he said. "Last year was a dynamic year. You had a lot of super-fast times in super events but for some reason it seems like the times have been suppressed. Why? I don't know." Related Stories ? Yao Ming and Liu Xiang attend Olympics one-year countdown event =========================================================================== Liu Xiang re-tops IAAF ranking =========================================================================== Liu Xiang sprints second Europe tour win =========================================================================== Liu Xiang wins 110 hurdles at Athletissima =========================================================================== China's Liu Xiang wins in Lausanne =========================================================================== Richards to meet an example, Liu Xiang to set an example =========================================================================== Hurdler Liu Xiang aims to break record again =========================================================================== Top Sports News ? * Brazil break duck with Robinho hat-trick * China coach tries to save job in Asian Cup * NFL hopes its game doesn't get lost in translation in China * Late starters face uphill task in China * LA Galaxy to present Beckham on July 13 Today's Top News ? * Two miners crawl out after being trapped 130 hours * Water polluters face stiff penalties * Greek fires kill 60 but spare Olympia * Bombings kill 42 in India * Chinese students talk with ISS astronaunt Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours 20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net

? ? WORLD / Middle East 14 US soldiers die in helicopter crash (AP) Updated: 2007-08-2 ? ? WORLD / Middle East 14 US soldiers die in helicopter crash (AP) Updated: 2007-08-22 17:00 A helicopter went down in northern Iraq on Wednesday, killing all 14 US soldiers aboard, the US military said, the deadliest crash since January 2005. In a file photo a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter lands to extract members of a US Army Combat Team, during a mission near Tall Afar, Iraq, June 5, 2006. [AP] The military said initial indications showed the aircraft experienced a mechanical problem and was not brought down by hostile fire, but the cause of the crash was still under investigation. The UH-60 Black Hawk was part of a pair of helicopters on a nighttime operation when the crash occurred. The four crew members and 10 passengers who perished were assigned to Task Force Lightning, the military said. It did not release identities pending notification of relatives. The US military relies heavily on helicopters to avoid the threat of ambushes and roadside bombs?-- the deadliest weapon in the militants' arsenal?-- and dozens have crashed in accidents or been shot down. The deadliest crash occurred on Jan. 26, 2005, when a CH-53 Sea Stallion transport helicopter went down in a sandstorm in western Iraq, killing 31 US troops. Wednesday's deaths raised to at least 3,721 members of the US military who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Meanwhile, a suicide truck bomber targeted a police agency in northern Iraq, killing at least 19 people and wounding 26, police and hospital officials said. The attack occurred just before noon in Beiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad, and many of the casualties were civilians, according to the officials. Iraqi police and soldiers have frequently been targeted by militants seeking to disrupt US-led efforts to enable the forces to take over their own security so foreign troops can go home. A bomb and small-arms attack against a security post shared by police and US paratroopers also killed 13 Iraqi officers in Beiji in late June. Jassim Saleh, 41, who lives some 500 yards away from the blast site, said he saw an explosives-laden truck carrying stones strike the police station. "It was a horrible scene. I can't describe it," he said. "The bodies were scattered everywhere. I was injured in my hand and a leg, but I took three wounded people to the hospital in my car." With violence unrelenting, political pressure mounted for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to show progress in bringing Iraq's battling factions together. US President Bush acknowledged his frustration with Iraqi leaders' inability to bridge political divisions on Tuesday, but said only the Iraqi people can decide whether to sideline the troubled prime minister. "Clearly, the Iraqi government's got to do more," Bush said at the close of a two-day North American summit with the leaders of Mexico and Canada. The Sept. 15 deadline for Bush's next progress report to the US Congress is fast approaching, leaving the president little time to show that his US troop buildup is succeeding in providing the enhanced security the Iraqi leaders need to forge a unified way forward. Al-Maliki, who has faced accusations of having a Shiite bias that has alienated minority Sunnis, lashed out at the US criticism on Wednesday, saying no one has a right to put timetables on his elected government. He blamed the US presidential campaign for the recent tough words from the Bush administration and from other American politicians. "No one has the right to place timetables on the Iraq government. It was elected by its people," he said at a news conference in Damascus at the end of a three-day visit to Syria. "Those who make such statements are bothered by our visit to Syria. We will pay no attention. We care for our people and our constitution and can find friends elsewhere." Without naming any American official, al-Maliki said some of the criticism of him and his government was "discourteous." US Ambassador Ryan Crocker, co-author of the highly anticipated report to Congress, also said Tuesday that Washington's blueprint for reconciliation was insufficient to win back control of Iraq. Congressional benchmarks such as laws to share oil revenue and reform security services don't tell the whole story, he said Tuesday. Crocker, who will present the report with military commander Gen. David Petraeus, called Iraq's problems difficult but fixable, arguing for more time for his diplomacy and operations by the bolstered American military force. "Failure to meet any of them (congressionally mandated benchmarks) does not mean the definitive failure of the state or the society," Crocker said. "Conversely, to make them all would not by any means mean that they've turned the corner and it's a sun-dappled upland from here on in with peace and harmony and background music. It's just a lot more complex than that." He echoed Bush's frustration with the lack of action by al-Maliki government's on key legislative measures. "Progress on national level issues has been extremely disappointing and frustrating to all concerned?-- to us, to Iraqis, to the Iraqi leadership itself," Crocker said. But he added that the Shiite prime minister was working "in the shadow of a huge national trauma." While saying US support was not a "blank check," Crocker said Washington would continue backing al-Maliki's government "as it makes serious efforts to achieve national reconciliation and deliver effective governance to the people of Iraq." He stressed that it's not just al-Maliki, but "the whole government that has to perform here." Top World News ? * Hundreds displaced, 22 died in US flooding * 14 US soldiers die in helicopter crash * Bush: It's up to Iraqi people to determine govt's fate * Iraq trial opens against ex-officials * Russia: Czechs make "big mistake" on US radar Today's Top News ? * Key stock index passes 5,000 mark * US dual probe violates WTO rules * SCO vows to make Games a success * Sex imbalance linked to social ills * China stock index passes 5,000 mark   Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours 20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net 2 17:00 A helicopter went down in northern Iraq on Wednesday, killing all 14 US soldiers aboard, the US military said, the deadliest crash since January 2005. In a file photo a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter lands to extract members of a US Army Combat Team, during a mission near Tall Afar, Iraq, June 5, 2006. [AP] The military said initial indications showed the aircraft experienced a mechanical problem and was not brought down by hostile fire, but the cause of the crash was still under investigation. The UH-60 Black Hawk was part of a pair of helicopters on a nighttime operation when the crash occurred. The four crew members and 10 passengers who perished were assigned to Task Force Lightning, the military said. It did not release identities pending notification of relatives. The US military relies heavily on helicopters to avoid the threat of ambushes and roadside bombs?-- the deadliest weapon in the militants' arsenal?-- and dozens have crashed in accidents or been shot down. The deadliest crash occurred on Jan. 26, 2005, when a CH-53 Sea Stallion transport helicopter went down in a sandstorm in western Iraq, killing 31 US troops. Wednesday's deaths raised to at least 3,721 members of the US military who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Meanwhile, a suicide truck bomber targeted a police agency in northern Iraq, killing at least 19 people and wounding 26, police and hospital officials said. The attack occurred just before noon in Beiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad, and many of the casualties were civilians, according to the officials. Iraqi police and soldiers have frequently been targeted by militants seeking to disrupt US-led efforts to enable the forces to take over their own security so foreign troops can go home. A bomb and small-arms attack against a security post shared by police and US paratroopers also killed 13 Iraqi officers in Beiji in late June. Jassim Saleh, 41, who lives some 500 yards away from the blast site, said he saw an explosives-laden truck carrying stones strike the police station. "It was a horrible scene. I can't describe it," he said. "The bodies were scattered everywhere. I was injured in my hand and a leg, but I took three wounded people to the hospital in my car." With violence unrelenting, political pressure mounted for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to show progress in bringing Iraq's battling factions together. US President Bush acknowledged his frustration with Iraqi leaders' inability to bridge political divisions on Tuesday, but said only the Iraqi people can decide whether to sideline the troubled prime minister. "Clearly, the Iraqi government's got to do more," Bush said at the close of a two-day North American summit with the leaders of Mexico and Canada. The Sept. 15 deadline for Bush's next progress report to the US Congress is fast approaching, leaving the president little time to show that his US troop buildup is succeeding in providing the enhanced security the Iraqi leaders need to forge a unified way forward. Al-Maliki, who has faced accusations of having a Shiite bias that has alienated minority Sunnis, lashed out at the US criticism on Wednesday, saying no one has a right to put timetables on his elected government. He blamed the US presidential campaign for the recent tough words from the Bush administration and from other American politicians. "No one has the right to place timetables on the Iraq government. It was elected by its people," he said at a news conference in Damascus at the end of a three-day visit to Syria. "Those who make such statements are bothered by our visit to Syria. We will pay no attention. We care for our people and our constitution and can find friends elsewhere." Without naming any American official, al-Maliki said some of the criticism of him and his government was "discourteous." US Ambassador Ryan Crocker, co-author of the highly anticipated report to Congress, also said Tuesday that Washington's blueprint for reconciliation was insufficient to win back control of Iraq. Congressional benchmarks such as laws to share oil revenue and reform security services don't tell the whole story, he said Tuesday. Crocker, who will present the report with military commander Gen. David Petraeus, called Iraq's problems difficult but fixable, arguing for more time for his diplomacy and operations by the bolstered American military force. "Failure to meet any of them (congressionally mandated benchmarks) does not mean the definitive failure of the state or the society," Crocker said. "Conversely, to make them all would not by any means mean that they've turned the corner and it's a sun-dappled upland from here on in with peace and harmony and background music. It's just a lot more complex than that." He echoed Bush's frustration with the lack of action by al-Maliki government's on key legislative measures. "Progress on national level issues has been extremely disappointing and frustrating to all concerned?-- to us, to Iraqis, to the Iraqi leadership itself," Crocker said. But he added that the Shiite prime minister was working "in the shadow of a huge national trauma." While saying US support was not a "blank check," Crocker said Washington would continue backing al-Maliki's government "as it makes serious efforts to achieve national reconciliation and deliver effective governance to the people of Iraq." He stressed that it's not just al-Maliki, but "the whole government that has to perform here." Top World News ? * Hundreds displaced, 22 died in US flooding * 14 US soldiers die in helicopter crash * Bush: It's up to Iraqi people to determine govt's fate * Iraq trial opens against ex-officials * Russia: Czechs make "big mistake" on US radar Today's Top News ? * Key stock index passes 5,000 mark * US dual probe violates WTO rules * SCO vows to make Games a success * Sex imbalance linked to social ills * China stock index passes 5,000 mark   Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours 20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net

? ? Sports Lin retains trophy, China wins?3 titles at worlds (Reuters) Updated: 2007-08-2 ? ? Sports Lin retains trophy, China wins?3 titles at worlds (Reuters) Updated: 2007-08-20 09:31 China's Lin Dan celebrates after winning the men's singles final against Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro at the World Badminton Championships in Kuala Lumpur August 19, 2007. The defending champion won 21-11, 22-20. [Reuters] ?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? 4?? 5?? 6?? 7?? 8?? 9?? ?? ?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? 4?? 5?? 6?? 7?? 8?? 9?? ?? Top Sport News ? * Brazil break duck with Robinho hat-trick * China coach tries to save job in Asian Cup * NFL hopes its game doesn't get lost in translation in China * Late starters face uphill task in China * LA Galaxy to present Beckham on July 13 Today's Top News ? * 'Slim' hopes of survival for 181 trapped miners * Sepat sweeps NW after killing 19 * Unsafe sex major cause of HIV infection * Poll: Family ties key to youth happiness * 15 killed as Sepat wreaks havoc Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours 20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net 0 09:31 China's Lin Dan celebrates after winning the men's singles final against Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro at the World Badminton Championships in Kuala Lumpur August 19, 2007. The defending champion won 21-11, 22-20. [Reuters] ?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? 4?? 5?? 6?? 7?? 8?? 9?? ?? ?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? 4?? 5?? 6?? 7?? 8?? 9?? ?? Top Sport News ? * Brazil break duck with Robinho hat-trick * China coach tries to save job in Asian Cup * NFL hopes its game doesn't get lost in translation in China * Late starters face uphill task in China * LA Galaxy to present Beckham on July 13 Today's Top News ? * 'Slim' hopes of survival for 181 trapped miners * Sepat sweeps NW after killing 19 * Unsafe sex major cause of HIV infection * Poll: Family ties key to youth happiness * 15 killed as Sepat wreaks havoc Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours 20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net

? ? WORLD / Center SCO summit meeting issues joint communique (Xinhua) Updated: 2007-08-1 ? ? WORLD / Center SCO summit meeting issues joint communique (Xinhua) Updated: 2007-08-17 03:08 BISHKEK -- The 7th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) concluded here Thursday after issuing a joint communique on multilateral relations and major international issues of common concern. Chinese President Hu Jintao, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tajikistan President Emomali Rakhmonov and Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov attended the one-day meeting. During the summit, the leaders agreed on further developing all-round cooperation within the SCO framework and exchanged in an in-depth way views on the current regional and international issues, the communique said. ANTI-TERRORISM With the cooperation among legislative bodies and supreme courts becoming ever-important, SCO member states should actively carry out information exchange in the legislative area, it said. The regional anti-terror institution has played an active part in combating terror-related actions, and the function of its council and executive committee has been further boosted, which in turn helped elevate the body's status in regional and international anti-terror cooperation, the leaders added. Fight against financing terrorism and money laundering should be intensified, and it is extremely important to implement the SCO's cooperation deal on combating terrorism, separatism and extremism between 2007 and 2009, the leaders stressed. REGIONAL STABILITY At the summit, the SCO leaders emphasized the necessity and urgency of taking precautionary measures and establishing relevant mechanisms to tackle threats against regional peace, security and stability. They agreed to step up efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, drug trafficking, terrorism. The leaders also discussed the possibility of the SCO taking bigger part in the Afghanistan affairs, to contribute more to regional security and stability. ECONOMIC COOPERATION The leaders pointed out that the economic cooperation within the SCO framework is being effectively implemented in various areas, including energy, transportation, telecommunications and other projects, the joint communique said. In the cooperation process, the businessmen committee and bank combo should play a significant role, and the SCO welcomes the two to sign various cooperation agreements. The leaders reiterated the importance of energy cooperation among the SCO members and hoped they would hold common ground on the issue. The energy mechanism should be open to all countries and organizations which agree with the SCO's tenets and tasks, the leaders said. They also noticed the importance of environment protection and the reasonable use of natural resources, the communique mentioned. INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE The leaders commented positively on the international exchanges that the SCO has had with other countries and organizations, noting the importance of further strengthening concrete cooperation with SCO observers in various fields. SCO member countries will continue to work for the completion of SCO legal framework to enable it to explore more international exchanges. The SCO should deepen concrete cooperation with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Eurasian Economic Community (EEC), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the basis of current memos of understanding, the SCO leaders pledged. They support the SCO to establish relations with other collective security treaty organizations in order to coordinate moves in protecting regional and international security, and facing new threats and challenges together. Leaders or representatives from the SCO's observer countries -- Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India -- also attended the summit. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and United Nations Under-Secretary-General B. Lynn Pascoe attended the summit as guests of the host country. Founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, the SCO groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The next SCO summit meeting will be held in 2008 in Tajikistan's capital of Dushanbe, with Tajikistan holding presidency of the organization. The ninth SCO summit meeting will be held in 2009 in the Russian city Jekaterinburg, the joint communique said. Top World News ? * Earthquake kills at least 337 in Peru * No progress in Taliban-SKorea talks * US Army suicides highest in 26 years * Taliban, S. Korea to resume hostage talks * 4 suicide bombings kill 200 in Iraq Today's Top News ? * SCO pledges partnership, nuke-free Central Asia * 500 dead in strong quake in Peru * Investigation aims to ensure toy safety * Mission to Moon 'not a race with others' * SCO holds summit on security, stability, cooperation Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours 20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net 7 03:08 BISHKEK -- The 7th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) concluded here Thursday after issuing a joint communique on multilateral relations and major international issues of common concern. Chinese President Hu Jintao, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tajikistan President Emomali Rakhmonov and Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov attended the one-day meeting. During the summit, the leaders agreed on further developing all-round cooperation within the SCO framework and exchanged in an in-depth way views on the current regional and international issues, the communique said. ANTI-TERRORISM With the cooperation among legislative bodies and supreme courts becoming ever-important, SCO member states should actively carry out information exchange in the legislative area, it said. The regional anti-terror institution has played an active part in combating terror-related actions, and the function of its council and executive committee has been further boosted, which in turn helped elevate the body's status in regional and international anti-terror cooperation, the leaders added. Fight against financing terrorism and money laundering should be intensified, and it is extremely important to implement the SCO's cooperation deal on combating terrorism, separatism and extremism between 2007 and 2009, the leaders stressed. REGIONAL STABILITY At the summit, the SCO leaders emphasized the necessity and urgency of taking precautionary measures and establishing relevant mechanisms to tackle threats against regional peace, security and stability. They agreed to step up efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, drug trafficking, terrorism. The leaders also discussed the possibility of the SCO taking bigger part in the Afghanistan affairs, to contribute more to regional security and stability. ECONOMIC COOPERATION The leaders pointed out that the economic cooperation within the SCO framework is being effectively implemented in various areas, including energy, transportation, telecommunications and other projects, the joint communique said. In the cooperation process, the businessmen committee and bank combo should play a significant role, and the SCO welcomes the two to sign various cooperation agreements. The leaders reiterated the importance of energy cooperation among the SCO members and hoped they would hold common ground on the issue. The energy mechanism should be open to all countries and organizations which agree with the SCO's tenets and tasks, the leaders said. They also noticed the importance of environment protection and the reasonable use of natural resources, the communique mentioned. INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE The leaders commented positively on the international exchanges that the SCO has had with other countries and organizations, noting the importance of further strengthening concrete cooperation with SCO observers in various fields. SCO member countries will continue to work for the completion of SCO legal framework to enable it to explore more international exchanges. The SCO should deepen concrete cooperation with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Eurasian Economic Community (EEC), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the basis of current memos of understanding, the SCO leaders pledged. They support the SCO to establish relations with other collective security treaty organizations in order to coordinate moves in protecting regional and international security, and facing new threats and challenges together. Leaders or representatives from the SCO's observer countries -- Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India -- also attended the summit. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and United Nations Under-Secretary-General B. Lynn Pascoe attended the summit as guests of the host country. Founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, the SCO groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The next SCO summit meeting will be held in 2008 in Tajikistan's capital of Dushanbe, with Tajikistan holding presidency of the organization. The ninth SCO summit meeting will be held in 2009 in the Russian city Jekaterinburg, the joint communique said. Top World News ? * Earthquake kills at least 337 in Peru * No progress in Taliban-SKorea talks * US Army suicides highest in 26 years * Taliban, S. Korea to resume hostage talks * 4 suicide bombings kill 200 in Iraq Today's Top News ? * SCO pledges partnership, nuke-free Central Asia * 500 dead in strong quake in Peru * Investigation aims to ensure toy safety * Mission to Moon 'not a race with others' * SCO holds summit on security, stability, cooperation Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours 20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net

Monday, November 26, 2007

UN peacekeepers may head to Somalia

? ?

WORLD / Africa

UN peacekeepers may head to Somalia

(agencies)
Updated: 2007-08-14 10:55

UNITED NATIONS -- Britain is proposing the United Nations start planning
for the possible deployment of UN peacekeepers to take over for an
African Union force struggling to keep the peace in war-torn Somalia,
according to a draft Security Council resolution circulated Monday.

Somali government soldiers stand guard on the southern outskirts of
Mogadishu, August 12, 2007. [Reuters]

The UN has come under increasing pressure from the African Union and
Somalia's transitional government to deploy a well-equipped force to
Somalia, which has been mired in chaos since 1991 when warlords
overthrew?the country leader?Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned against
one another.

The AU's Peace and Security Council agreed last month to extend the
mandate of its force in Somalia for six months and called for the UN to
deploy a peacekeeping operation that will support the country's long-term
stabilization.

AU chairman Alpha Oumar Konare followed up with a letter this month to
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council pushing for the
deployment of UN troops to replace the AU force.

The UN's authorization for the AU force in Somalia expires on Aug. 20.
Britain's draft resolution would also extend that mandate for another six
months.

Francois Lonseny Fall, Ban's special representative to Somalia, told
reporters after briefing the council Monday that the AU's expectation is
that a UN force will replace the AU troops at the end of the six months.

Key Security Council countries have said, however, that there must be a
peace to keep before UN troops are sent to Somalia.

The Republic of Congo's deputy ambassador, Pascal Gayama, countered that
"the Security Council has to move when there is no peace."

"When people are saying that there should be peace first and then the UN
comes, it's really a nonsense in my view," he said.

The draft resolution asks the secretary-general to start developing plans
for the possible deployment of a UN force by contacting potential troop
contributing countries and identifying what actions the UN and the
international community should take to create the conditions for a
successful UN peacekeeping operation.

Uganda currently has about 1,700 troops in Somalia and is meant to be the
vanguard of a larger AU peacekeeping force that is expected to have 8,000
troops.

Fall said the deployment of 1,500 troops from Burundi has been delayed
because of the lack of funds and logistical help. Troops are also
expected from Nigeria and Ghana, he said.

Top World News ?

* Iraqi leaders forge new political pact
* Earthquake kills at least 337 in Peru
* No progress in Taliban-SKorea talks
* US Army suicides highest in 26 years
* Taliban, S. Korea to resume hostage talks

Today's Top News ?

* SCO pledges partnership, nuke-free Central Asia
* 500 dead in strong quake in Peru
* Mission to Moon 'not a race with others'
* Woman has rare identical quadruplets
* SCO holds summit on security, stability, cooperation

Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours

20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net

Vintage sport cars competition

? ?

Sports / Other Sports

Vintage sport cars competition

Updated: 2007-08-12 00:48

Italy's Giorgio Marchi (10) steers his Cooper Bristol during the 35.
AvD-Oldtimer-Grand Prix at the western German Nuerburgring circuit August
11, 2007. Split in twelve different race categories, some 605 drivers
will take part at the competition for vintage sport cars from August 10
to 12. [Reuters]

?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? 4?? ??

Top Sports News ?

Today's Top News ?

* China: One step closer to the Moon
* Plan to boost drug safety
* S. Korean hostages freed: Taliban
* NASA finds gouge on Endeavour's belly
* Taliban 'hopeful' of Koreans' freedom

Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours

20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net

WORLD / America Senate passes immigration bill overhaul (AP) Updated: 2006-05-26 08:51 Landmark legislation to secure U.S. borders and offer millions of illegal immigrants a share WORLD / America Senate passes immigration bill overhaul (AP) Updated: 2006-05-26 08:51 Landmark legislation to secure U.S. borders and offer millions of illegal immigrants a share of the American dream cleared the Senate on Thursday, a rare election-year reach across party lines and a triumph for President Bush. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., talks with reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday, May 25, 2006, after the Senate voted 62-36 to overhaul the nation's immigratikon laws. Left to right are Frist, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. [AP] The 62-36 vote cleared the way for arduous summertime compromise talks with the House on its immigration measure focusing on border enforcement with no guarantee of success. Republicans and Democrats said energetic participation by Bush would be critical. "Why not say to those undocumented workers who are working the jobs that the rest of us refuse, come out from the shadows," said Arizona Republican John McCain, a key architect of the bill. The legislation includes money to better secure the borders, provide a new guest worker program and give an eventual shot at citizenship to many of the estimated 11 million to 12 million immigrants in the country illegally. The bill "strengthens our security and reflects our humanity," said Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., McCain's partner in the Senate compromise. "It is intended to keep out those who would harm us and welcome those who contribute to our country." Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and the Democratic leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, both sided with supporters, a reflection of the bipartisan backing for a bill that was months in the drafting and survived several near-death experiences. In all, 38 Democrats, 23 Republicans and one independent voted for the bill, while 32 Republicans opposed and four Democrats opposed it. Conservative critics attacked the legislation to the end after trying unsuccessfully to pull it apart with amendments. "This bill will not secure our borders," said Sen. Jeff Sessions (news, bio, voting record), R-Ala., one of the most persistent critics. "This is amnesty," added David Vitter, R-La., who tried last week to strip out provisions relating to citizenship. Not so, said Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., chairman of the Judiciary Committee, in a rebuttal to weeks of debate. "They have to pay a fine. They have to undergo a criminal background check. They have to pay back taxes, they have to learn English and they have to go to the back of the line," he said, referring to illegal immigrants who would apply for citizenship. Still, Sessions, Vitter, John Cornyn of Texas and others echoed a view widely held among House Republicans, many of whom have vigorously denounced the Senate bill as well as Bush's call for a "comprehensive approach" to the issue. That portended difficult compromise talks in the shadow of midterm elections, at a time when Bush's poll ratings are low, congressional Republicans are concerned and Democrats are increasingly optimistic about their chances in November. Lawmakers in both parties pledged strenuous efforts to reach a compromise. Specter said that Republicans, as the party in power in Congress and the White House, had a special burden to produce a compromise. "I believe the president will put a heavy shoulder to the wheel," he added. Internal GOP divisions will complicate compromise talks. In the Senate alone, four members of the leadership voted against the bill, including Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, chairman of the party's senatorial committee. House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, issued a statement that said, "we owe it to the American people to seek common ground on responsible solutions, while always stressing our most important priority is to secure our borders and stop illegal immigration." The House bill, which passed on a largely party-line vote last year, is generally limited to border enforcement. It would make all illegal immigrants subject to felony charges and it contains no provision for either a new temporary worker program or citizenship for men, women and children in the country unlawfully. In contrast, the Senate bill would mark the most far-reaching changes in immigration law in two decades. Built on compromise after painstaking compromise, it was designed to appeal to conservatives and others seeking tougher border enforcement; business interests eager for a steady supply of legal, low-wage labor; unions seeking enhanced protections for migrants who often toil in seasonal work the fields and Hispanics who are on the cusp of greater political power and determined to win a change in legal status for millions of illegal immigrants. That last group - Hispanics comprises the fastest growing segment of the electorate, and millions made their feelings clear in street demonstrations denouncing the House measure and calling for passage of a broader measure. Bush played a prominent role in the run-up to passage. An Oval Office speech last week made explicit his support for the Senate's overall approach. A later trip to Arizona was designed to reassure conservatives about his commitment to stanching illegal immigration. In more than a week of debate, the Senate made a series of changes in the legislation. Still, the key pillars were preserved when opponents failed to knock out the guest worker program or the citizenship provisions. A new program for 1.5 million temporary agricultural workers also survived. To secure the borders, the measure calls for the hiring of an additional 1,000 new Border Patrol agents this year and 14,000 by 2011, and backs Bush's plan for a short-term deployment of National Guard troops to states along the Mexican Border. The bill calls for new surveillance equipment as well as the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers. The new guest worker program would admit 200,000 individuals a year. Once here, they would be permitted for the first time to petition on their own for a green card that confers legal permanent residency, a provision designed to reduce the potential for exploitation by employers. A separate new program, a compromise between growers and unions, envisions admission of an estimated 1.5 million immigrant farm workers who may also apply for permanent residency Even supporters of the bill conceded the three-tiered program related to illegal immigrants was complicated. Those in the country unlawfully for five years or more would be permitted to remain, continue working and eventually apply for citizenship. They would be required to pay at least $3,250 in fines and fees, settle any back taxes and learn English. Illegal immigrants in the country for more than two years but less than five would be required to travel to a point of entry before re-entering the United States legally and beginning a lengthy process of seeking citizenship. They would be subject to the same fines, fees and other requirements as the longer-term immigrants. An immigrant in the country illegally for less than two years would be required to leave with no guarantee of return. Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours Today's Top News � Man kidnaps 19 pupils, subdued by police � Pipeline dream came true � Banks told to curb house loans � Former Enron chiefs convicted � Pentagon: US surprised by rapid arms modernization Top World News � Abbas stuns Hamas with talk of referendum � North Korea, Iran celebrate 'special relationship' � Pan Am Flight 103 families: Libya must pay � Cheney may be called in CIA leak case � Former Iraq deputy PM Aziz takes stand for Saddam Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. Source model ship, wooden puzzle, one-piece toilet, RC hovercraft, photo album, prom dress, pocket bike, Vaginal Speculum, Samurai Sword, String Panty and PVC Pipe. 20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net of the American dream cleared the Senate on Thursday, a rare election-year reach across party lines and a triumph for President Bush. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., talks with reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday, May 25, 2006, after the Senate voted 62-36 to overhaul the nation's immigratikon laws. Left to right are Frist, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. [AP] The 62-36 vote cleared the way for arduous summertime compromise talks with the House on its immigration measure focusing on border enforcement with no guarantee of success. Republicans and Democrats said energetic participation by Bush would be critical. "Why not say to those undocumented workers who are working the jobs that the rest of us refuse, come out from the shadows," said Arizona Republican John McCain, a key architect of the bill. The legislation includes money to better secure the borders, provide a new guest worker program and give an eventual shot at citizenship to many of the estimated 11 million to 12 million immigrants in the country illegally. The bill "strengthens our security and reflects our humanity," said Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., McCain's partner in the Senate compromise. "It is intended to keep out those who would harm us and welcome those who contribute to our country." Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and the Democratic leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, both sided with supporters, a reflection of the bipartisan backing for a bill that was months in the drafting and survived several near-death experiences. In all, 38 Democrats, 23 Republicans and one independent voted for the bill, while 32 Republicans opposed and four Democrats opposed it. Conservative critics attacked the legislation to the end after trying unsuccessfully to pull it apart with amendments. "This bill will not secure our borders," said Sen. Jeff Sessions (news, bio, voting record), R-Ala., one of the most persistent critics. "This is amnesty," added David Vitter, R-La., who tried last week to strip out provisions relating to citizenship. Not so, said Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., chairman of the Judiciary Committee, in a rebuttal to weeks of debate. "They have to pay a fine. They have to undergo a criminal background check. They have to pay back taxes, they have to learn English and they have to go to the back of the line," he said, referring to illegal immigrants who would apply for citizenship. Still, Sessions, Vitter, John Cornyn of Texas and others echoed a view widely held among House Republicans, many of whom have vigorously denounced the Senate bill as well as Bush's call for a "comprehensive approach" to the issue. That portended difficult compromise talks in the shadow of midterm elections, at a time when Bush's poll ratings are low, congressional Republicans are concerned and Democrats are increasingly optimistic about their chances in November. Lawmakers in both parties pledged strenuous efforts to reach a compromise. Specter said that Republicans, as the party in power in Congress and the White House, had a special burden to produce a compromise. "I believe the president will put a heavy shoulder to the wheel," he added. Internal GOP divisions will complicate compromise talks. In the Senate alone, four members of the leadership voted against the bill, including Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, chairman of the party's senatorial committee. House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, issued a statement that said, "we owe it to the American people to seek common ground on responsible solutions, while always stressing our most important priority is to secure our borders and stop illegal immigration." The House bill, which passed on a largely party-line vote last year, is generally limited to border enforcement. It would make all illegal immigrants subject to felony charges and it contains no provision for either a new temporary worker program or citizenship for men, women and children in the country unlawfully. In contrast, the Senate bill would mark the most far-reaching changes in immigration law in two decades. Built on compromise after painstaking compromise, it was designed to appeal to conservatives and others seeking tougher border enforcement; business interests eager for a steady supply of legal, low-wage labor; unions seeking enhanced protections for migrants who often toil in seasonal work the fields and Hispanics who are on the cusp of greater political power and determined to win a change in legal status for millions of illegal immigrants. That last group - Hispanics comprises the fastest growing segment of the electorate, and millions made their feelings clear in street demonstrations denouncing the House measure and calling for passage of a broader measure. Bush played a prominent role in the run-up to passage. An Oval Office speech last week made explicit his support for the Senate's overall approach. A later trip to Arizona was designed to reassure conservatives about his commitment to stanching illegal immigration. In more than a week of debate, the Senate made a series of changes in the legislation. Still, the key pillars were preserved when opponents failed to knock out the guest worker program or the citizenship provisions. A new program for 1.5 million temporary agricultural workers also survived. To secure the borders, the measure calls for the hiring of an additional 1,000 new Border Patrol agents this year and 14,000 by 2011, and backs Bush's plan for a short-term deployment of National Guard troops to states along the Mexican Border. The bill calls for new surveillance equipment as well as the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers. The new guest worker program would admit 200,000 individuals a year. Once here, they would be permitted for the first time to petition on their own for a green card that confers legal permanent residency, a provision designed to reduce the potential for exploitation by employers. A separate new program, a compromise between growers and unions, envisions admission of an estimated 1.5 million immigrant farm workers who may also apply for permanent residency Even supporters of the bill conceded the three-tiered program related to illegal immigrants was complicated. Those in the country unlawfully for five years or more would be permitted to remain, continue working and eventually apply for citizenship. They would be required to pay at least $3,250 in fines and fees, settle any back taxes and learn English. Illegal immigrants in the country for more than two years but less than five would be required to travel to a point of entry before re-entering the United States legally and beginning a lengthy process of seeking citizenship. They would be subject to the same fines, fees and other requirements as the longer-term immigrants. An immigrant in the country illegally for less than two years would be required to leave with no guarantee of return. Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours Today's Top News � Man kidnaps 19 pupils, subdued by police � Pipeline dream came true � Banks told to curb house loans � Former Enron chiefs convicted � Pentagon: US surprised by rapid arms modernization Top World News � Abbas stuns Hamas with talk of referendum � North Korea, Iran celebrate 'special relationship' � Pan Am Flight 103 families: Libya must pay � Cheney may be called in CIA leak case � Former Iraq deputy PM Aziz takes stand for Saddam Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. Source model ship, wooden puzzle, one-piece toilet, RC hovercraft, photo album, prom dress, pocket bike, Vaginal Speculum, Samurai Sword, String Panty and PVC Pipe. 20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net

Portugal

Sports/Olympics / Soccer

Portugal
(www.chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2006-05-24 10:07

Portugal's national soccer team (front row L-R) Alex, Caneira, Maniche,
Deco, Luis Figo and (back row L-R) Ricardo, Petit, Fernando Meira, Jorge
Andrade, Pauleta and Cristiano Ronaldo pose before their World Cup 2006
Group Three qualification match against Slovakia at Luz stadium in Lisbon
June 4, 2005. [Reuters]

Squad Statistics
No. NAME POS H(M) W(Kg) Age
1 Alexandre Ricardo G - 77 30
12 Silva Quim G 1.84 76 30
22 Miguel Bruno Vale G 1.85 78 23
2 Renato Paulo Ferreira D 1.82 76 27
3 Marco Caneira D 1.78 76 27
4 Miguel Ricardo Costa D 1.83 80 25
5 Fernando Meira D 1.88 85 27
13 Luis Miguel D 1.75 64 26
14 Jorge Nuno Valente D 1.80 76 31
16 Alberto Ricardo Carvalho D 1.83 79 28
6 Francisco Costinha M 1.81 74 31
7 Luis Figo M 1.81 78 33
8 Armando Petit M 1.72 71 29
10 Hugo Viana M 1.81 73 23
17 Cristiano Ronaldo M 1.84 78 21
18 Nuno Maniche M 1.73 69 28
19 Cardoso Tiago M 1.78 70 25
20 Anderson Deco M 1.74 73 28
9 Pedro Pauleta S 1.78 79 33
11 Sabrosa Simao S 1.70 64 26
15 Luis Boa Morte S 1.78 72 28
21 Miguel Nuno Gomes S 1.80 76 29
23 Helder Postiga S 1.79 79 23

Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours

Today's Top News

� Chinese cabinet okays draft anti-monopoly law

� 55 dead as storms continue in S. China

� China reports new bird flu case

� Bush: Immigrants must adopt US values

� Official: SCO not an eastern version of NATO

Top Sport News

20071125 http://www.hellomandarin.net

EU promises "generous, bold" Iran nuclear offer

WORLD / Middle East

EU promises "generous, bold" Iran nuclear offer
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-15 16:12

The European Union will make Iran a generous offer of technology,
economic and other incentives for Iran to abandon sensitive nuclear
activities, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Monday.

"It will be a generous package, a bold package that will contain issues
related to nuclear, economic matters and maybe if necessary security
matters," Solana told reporters before a meeting of EU foreign ministers
due to work on the offer.

He gave no details but said the EU wanted to present it to Iran in the
coming weeks simultaneously with the approval of a U.N. resolution
calling on Tehran to halt enrichment of uranium or face consequences such
as sanctions.

Efforts to agree such a resolution last week stalled in the U.N. Security
Council amid opposition from Russia and China.

Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil exporter, insists its nuclear plans
are purely to make electricity. It affirmed at the weekend it would
reject any demand to stop what it calls peaceful nuclear work.

Solana said such statements misunderstood EU policy.

"We have said over and over again that we have nothing against Iran
having nuclear capabilities if they are strictly devoted to the
production of energy," he said.

But Iranian demands to be allowed to conduct enrichment for research
purposes were still "something that at the moment we (the EU) cannot
accept", he said.

The United States made clear on Sunday it had no intention of holding
direct talks with Iran on the nuclear issue despite a letter to President
George W. Bush last week from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad --
the first direct communication between the two countries' leaders for
more than two decades.

Germany has called publicly for Washington to engage Iran directly while
the two other major EU powers, Britain and France, have not commented
publicly on the idea.

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China allows investors to head abroad

WORLD / Wall Street Journal Exclusive

China allows investors to head abroad
By JAMES T. AREDDY (WJS)
Updated: 2006-04-14 11:18

China said it will let companies and individuals make investments
overseas for the first time, a policy shift that could temporarily ease
immediate U.S. pressure on Beijing to revalue its currency, the yuan.

The news comes ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao's planned April 20
visit to the White House. While the moves fall short of an outright
increase in the value of the yuan -- which the U.S. has called for -- the
technical changes could affect China's currency exchange-rate system and
may strengthen the yuan's value anyway.

The new investment rules from the State Administration of Foreign
Exchange allow professionals to buy overseas stocks and make investments
outside of China. The rules also let Chinese individuals buy at least
$20,000 in foreign currency each year, while companies will be able to
hold more in foreign currencies than currently allowed. The changes take
effect May 1.

The Treasury Department, the lead U.S. agency on currency issues, greeted
the announcement as a small step in the right direction. "What we're
seeing is constant, incremental reform," said Tim Adams, undersecretary
of the Treasury for international affairs. But, he added, the Chinese
"still have a long way to go, and we would urge them to speed up the
pace."

America's strong appetite for Chinese goods has created a large US trade
deficit with China. A stronger yuan would be a step toward addressing
that imbalance by making Chinese goods more expensive and US goods
cheaper for Chinese consumers.

Foreign-exchange analysts said the move could represent the latest step
in a gradual move by China toward a more open, market-based currency. It
follows Beijing's decision last July to revalue the yuan and let it trade
against a basket of currencies, and a move in January to permit foreign
banks to trade yuan with each other, rather than using the government as
an intermediary.

Many analysts expect the new rules will encourage Chinese investors to
invest some of their savings abroad in U.S. Treasurys, European bonds --
and perhaps even into some foreign stocks -- because yields are higher
than at home.

But analysts suggested that the amount of money flowing abroad was
unlikely to be enough to have a significant impact on currency values or
in the stock or bond markets receiving the Chinese money. "The
foreign-exchange market is so big it would take a large number of Chinese
all sending money abroad over a short period of time to have an effect,"
said Rebecca Patterson, currency strategist at J.P. Morgan in New York.

Marc Chandler, a currency strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman, noted
that U.S. and other foreign companies continue to make big-ticket
investments in China, while hedge funds and other money managers are
speculating on the currency and investing in the stock markets. These
money flows are seen as more powerful than the potential new flows of
Chinese money abroad.

Chinese authorities seem to be betting that the private sector's hunger
for those assets -- such as U.S. stocks and bonds -- will continue to
prop up the dollar. That would give China a ready response to U.S.
political pressure: Blame the market, not Beijing.

"To some extent, it's also hoisting the Treasury Department on the petard
of its own language about exchange-rate flexibility and market
determination, because it's saying, 'We're moving toward the market,' "
said William R. Cline, senior fellow at the Institute for International
Economics, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C., think tank.

It isn't hard to see why some Chinese money would head overseas. Though
China's stock markets have soared this year, they are rebounding from a
four-year sell-off and are considered highly speculative and risky
compared with more-developed markets abroad. Where China's one-year bank
deposit rate has been unchanged for years at 2.25%, Chinese investors
could get yields of more than twice that by buying U.S. or European
government bonds.

While Americans and others in the developed world are free to invest
their money abroad or own foreign currencies, China is among several
emerging markets -- along with South Korea, India and Brazil -- that have
restricted the ability of individuals to invest abroad.

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